After almost a day-long huddle of various ministers, the Maharashtra government came up with announcement of yet another committee aimed at ending the present stir on Maratha Reservation on Wednesday. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that a committee under retired judge has been set up to devise SOP for granting Kunbi certificates and appealed Manoj Jarange-Patil to withdraw his agitation.
“The committee under retired justice Sandeep Shinde with ACS Revenue, Principal Secretary of law and judiciary, and district collectors of all the related districts as members and Divisional Commissioner of Aurangabad as member secretary shall devise SOP for administrative and legal scrutiny of cases to grant ‘Kunbi’ certificates after verification of revenue, educational and related documents. Earlier committee under Chief Secretary shall provide all the necessary help to this committee,” CM Shinde said in the evening after almost day-long deliberations with the cabinet sub committee on Maratha Reservation.
The committee has been set up in accordance with Manoj Jarange-Patil’s, who has been agitating for Maratha reservation, demand that a procedure needs to be devised to grant ‘Kunbi’ certificates after verification of documents from the times of Nizam, CM Shinde said and appealed Jarange-Patil to withdraw his agitation.
“If the government is willing they can bring out an ordinance in one day. I have enough evidences for them to be able to do that. They won’t have to wander here and there searching for the evidences,” Jarange-Patil had ealier said at a press conference held at his Antarwali Sarate village in Ambad Taluka of Jalna district.
Jarange-Patil made the appeal to the government at 6 pm. Before that, since around 2 pm when the cabinet meeting ended, Chief Mnister Eknath Shinde along with Deputy Chief Minsters Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and the members of cabinet sub committee on Maratha Reservation huddled at the cabinet hall.
“I have all the evidences right from the days of Hyderabad princely state. I had though that I would hand them over to the committee set up by the government. But, the committee didn’t work and I didn’t get a chance to present the evidences before them. No, if the government is prepared to come out with an ordinance on Maratha Researvation, I can save their time. The evidences include papers that show Marathas hav been registered as Kunbi in the past. The papers are from the records of Hyderabad princely state. On the basis of the document the ordinance can be brought in within a day and the Marathas can be granted reservation,” Jarange-Patil who has been on fast since past 9 days said.
“We are ready to provide a team of legal experts along with the papers,” Jarange-Patil said while pressing his point.
When asked about the charges that politics is being played and that he has been working on the directives of a particular party, a visbly angry Jarange-Patil said that he doesn’t care for that. “This is not an agitation run by politicians. We are poor people. We eat chatni-Bhakri and sleep under the sky. The agitation is being built by well meaning youngsters from the community. I shall teach a lesson to anyone who calls it politically motivated,” he added.
Meanwhile, former minister and Shiv Sena leader from Jalna, Arjun Khotkar, said that Jarange-Patil is most likely to announce the decision to withdraw agitation by 11 am on Thursday. “CM has assured him of the resolve of the government, a GR too has come out as per his demands. Hence, we have requested him to withdraw his agitation. I hope after consulting with his associates he announces the decision to withdraw agitation tomorrow,” Khotkar said.
