Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators on Monday staged a protest outside Maharashtra Legislative Assembly with sloganeering and holding banners on the issue of OBC reservation, Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), and farmers distress.
Speaking on the issue of OBC reservation, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Devendra Fadnavis claimed that the proposal which the state government was going to table in this session was "meaningless". Until they fulfil conditions put by the apex court to prepare empirical data, OBC reservation cannot be retired, he added.
Cornering the Maharashtra government, he further said that the opposition was not given on time the legislative business list for the first day of the Assembly session.
Meanwhile, BJP leader and former Minister Sadabhau Khot said, "There were serious questions on farmers and health issues but instead of holding constructive dialogue, the government decided to run away. They (Shiv Sena) used to say 'Bagh aaya, Bagh aaya'. But now, it seems they need to say tiger ran away." The two-day monsoon session of the Maharashtra Assembly started today.
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Rejection of the three Central agriculture laws is one of the three resolutions approved by the Maharashtra cabinet on Sunday which will be moved in the monsoon session of the state legislature beginning Monday, sources said.
The council of ministers also gave its nod to a resolution requesting the Centre to decide about restoration of the quota for Marathas in government jobs and education. Another resolution approved by the cabinet is asking the Centre to furnish population data of OBCs based on the 2011 census so that political reservations for members of other backward classes in local bodies can stay.
These three resolutions are likely to be moved in both the Houses of the state legislature on Monday, sources said.
Farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November 2020 with their demands that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.
In May this year, the Supreme Court struck down the Maharashtra law granting quota to Marathas in admissions and government jobs.
The apex court had also quashed quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs)in local bodies after observing that the total number of seats earmarked for various communities, including SC and ST etc, should not exceed 50 per cent of its total strength.
The cabinet also discussed the suicide of an MPSC aspirant in Pune. A detailed statement on why the MPSC (Maharashtra Public Service Commission) examinations are not being held will be made on the floor of both the Houses, sources added.
Depressed over the delay in conducting the final MPSC interview due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Swapneel Lonkar (24) allegedly hanged himself at his house in Pune's Hadapsar area on June 30, Pune police said on Sunday.
(With inputs from agencies)
