Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister, Ashish Shelar, on Wednesday appealed to the Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil to call off his proposed march to Mumbai during Ganeshotsav and the Gauri festival.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, he requested all stakeholders to ensure citizens face no disruptions or inconvenience during the festive season across the state, particularly in Mumbai and Pune.
He emphasised that the Mahayuti government — led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar — remains fully open to resolving all pending Maratha reservation issues through dialogue.
He noted that 13 out of 14 major demands made by the Maratha community have already been fulfilled, with a Cabinet sub-committee led by Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil actively working on the remaining points.
Minister Shelar said that the Mahayuti government has taken a slew of measures including special legislation for Maratha reservation, SEBC quota implementation, EWS opportunities, and robust legal representation to defend the quota in court.
The government has streamlined processing and verification for caste certificates, simplified documentation rules, and the establishment of a dedicated commission.
It has also taken adequate care to protect appointments for selected candidates, along with scholarships and maintenance allowances for Maratha students on par with OBC benefits.
He said that government resolutions have also been issued regarding scholarships, maintenance allowances and various other facilities for students from the Maratha community, on par with those available to the OBC community.
Work on this issue is underway through a Cabinet Group headed by Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, and the government is making efforts to resolve the remaining difficulties as well.
“The Mahayuti government has worked to adopt a positive approach towards the issues of the Maratha community. Complete information and a report on the decisions taken so far are available. Therefore, the Maratha community should take the facts into consideration,” Minister Shelar appealed.
He also expressed displeasure over statements made against the government during Jarange Patil’s agitation.
“Everyone has the right to express their position and agitate for their demands. However, insulting language used against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde cannot be accepted. Differences of opinion may exist, but language that insults individuals is not appropriate,” he said.
He further said, “Given that decisions have already been taken on certain demands, the government has established mechanisms to ensure that matters withstand judicial scrutiny, and a Cabinet Group is discussing other issues, taking an extreme position is not appropriate. Everyone should ensure that issues do not become more complicated through agitation.”
Minister Shelar also expressed concern about Manoj Jarange’s health. “Manoj Jarange Patil should take care of his health. We are also concerned about his well-being. He should discuss his demands through a positive approach. However, during an important festival such as Ganeshotsav, he should not take any position that causes inconvenience to citizens and devotees in Mumbai, Pune or elsewhere in the state,” he said.
“The government has not closed the doors to dialogue. The government is ready to discuss the remaining issues of the Maratha community and find a way forward. Therefore, instead of intensifying the agitation, the path of dialogue should be adopted, and care should be taken to ensure that citizens face no inconvenience during Ganeshotsav,” appealed Minister Shelar.
–IANS
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