Ruling coalition leaders avoiding decision on Maratha quota NCP SP MLA Rohit Pawar

Latur, Jul 30 (PTI) Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar on Tuesday said ruling coalition leaders were not taking a firm decision on the Maratha reservation issue and asserted quota for community members in jobs and education can only be secured through a constitutional amendment.
Interacting with media persons at Rashtrawadi Bhavan in Latur in central Maharashtra, he, however, sidestepped questions about Maratha groups' demand for reservation under the OBC category.
Rohit Pawar said the Maratha reservation issue had been resolved in the past, but the quota was struck down when a supporter of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took the matter to court.
Criticising the Mahayuti government, the opposition legislator maintained ruling alliance leaders are not taking any firm decision on the Maratha quota issue.
Details of discussions between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar were not being disclosed. The only way to secure Maratha reservation in courts is through a constitutional amendment, he contended.
Asked about Sharad Pawar's statement warning of a possible Manipur-like social unrest in Maharashtra, the NCP (SP) legislator said people in the north-eastern state faced injustice.
"In Manipur, common people were subjected to injustice and atrocities, and the government there ignored these injustices. This led local populace to feel those in power were backing these injustices. Here (in Maharashtra), tensions between two communities sparked riots in Beed and Kolhapur. Some people might be plotting to incite riots in Maharashtra before the ensuing assembly elections," he alleged.
To a question on Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar criticising Sharad Pawar in context of the Maratha reservation issue, he responded, "Prakash Ambedkar is a senior leader. He should have joined the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) during the Lok Sabha elections to defeat the BJP. Instead, votes pollted by his candidates benefited the BJP. However, I now invite Prakash Ambedkar to join us (MVA)."
Rohit Pawar said the state government has failed to put in place necessary machinery to effectively implement the Ladki Bahin scheme for underprivileged women.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)