Declare quota for marathas expeditiously'

Mumbai: Cornering chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the Maratha reservation issue, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded on Monday that the Maratha community be given reservation immediately without waiting for the report of the state backward classes commission.

Sena ministers and MLAs met Mr Fadnavis and submitted a memorandum in this regard. Mr Thackeray said that his party supported reservation on the basis of financial criteria but existing reservations should not get affected.

Mr Thackeray called a meeting of Sena ministers and MLAs to discuss the issue. After the meeting, he said, “BJP had given assurances to the Maratha, Dhangar and other communities. Now there is a delay because of the backward classes commission. Instead of waiting for the report, the state government should send the proposal to the Union government for other castes too, who are demanding reservation.”