Mumbai: NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, on Tuesday, kicked the ball of Maratha Quota into the Centre’s court while pitching in for the removal of the 50% cap on the reservation and increasing the limit by 15-16% to be able to accommodate aspiring sections of the society like the Maratha community.
He was addressing a press conference at Jalgaon before his public rally.
Pawar made the suggestion while responding to a query on demands being made by some leaders to accommodate Marathas in the existing OBC quota.
“Some people say that making more people (communities) beneficiaries of the OBC (other backward class) quota is an injustice to the poor people of the (existing) OBC quota. This cannot be ignored,” Sharad Pawar said and added, “The option is to make amendments by the Centre in Parliament to the existing 50 per cent cap and add 15-16 per cent to it.”
There should be no differences between OBC and other communities, Pawar said.
Pawar demanded govt to make it clear as to who ordered lathi charge in Jalna
While responding to queries regarding Ajit Pawar’s challenge to prove the allegations that the orders for the lathi charge were given from Mumbai or quit politics, Pawar Sr. demanded that the government make it clear as to who ordered the lathi charge.
Pawar also sought to put the record straight regarding the deaths of several Gowari agitators at Nagpur 28 years back when he was the Chief Minister. “There was no lathi charge. No use of force. There was a stampede, and the concerned minister was made to resign from the cabinet after the incident. Such sensitivity and sensibility are hardly seen in the present government,” Pawar said while replying to allegations of double speech levelled by DCM Devendra Fadnavis against him at the press conference on Monday.
Pawar on PM Modi’s corruption remark
Pawar Sr. also raked up the issue of allegations levelled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi against his party.
“The Prime Minister had levelled serious allegations of corruption in a political rally. I would like to know why didn’t he order an inquiry into the cases of corruption mentioned by him?” Pawar asked.
Pawar also stated that no one has the right to change the name INDIA.
“Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has called for a meeting on Wednesday of all party heads of the INDIA alliance, an opposition bloc of 28 parties aiming to take on the BJP-led Centre in next year’s general elections. The issue of name INDIA and strategy regarding the special session of the parliament will be discussed at the meeting,” he added.
NCP to support centre on women's quota
Replying to a query, he also said that his party should support the centre if it brings in the bill to grant women’s quota.
On the drought-like situation in many parts of Maharashtra, Pawar said fodder for cattle, drinking water, steps to salvage crops wherever possible, economic assistance to farmers and suspension of all types of state levies are some of the measures that need to be taken by the government.
Pawar also criticized the state government’s “Shasan Aapalya Daari” (Govt at doorsteps) program saying that it is more of advertisements and less of work.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
