Maharashtra CM urges Marathas not to stage demonstrations for quota demand

The march will halt in Lonavala in the evening before resuming its journey towards Mumbai on Thursday.Maharashtra minister and Shiv Senas chief spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said the issue of reservation for Marathas is likely to be addressed by February without hurting the quotas of other communities.He appealed to Jarange and members of the Maratha community to reconsider their decision to protest in Mumbai.Kesarkar said so far 32,000 Kunbi records have been found in the Marathwada region and 24,000 caste certificates have been issued.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday appealed to members of the Maratha community not to stage protests as the government is thinking positively about the quota demand.

Shinde's assurance comes at a time when quota activist Manoj Jarange and thousands of his supporters are on their way to Mumbai to launch a protest on January 26.

''The state government is positive about the Maratha quota demand. We will take a decision. I appeal to the Maratha community to refrain themselves from staging agitations,'' he told reporters.

Speaking about the ongoing survey by the state Commission for Backward Classes to asses the social, economic and educational backwardness of the Maratha community, Shinde said 1.5 lakh people are working in three shifts.

''Once the backward classes commission submits the survey report, a special session of the state legislature will be convened to enact legislation,'' he added.

Jarange set out on a march towards Mumbai from Jalna district on January 20 with thousands of supporters, demanding that the state government grant quota to Marathas under the OBC grouping in jobs and education.

The morcha comprising several vehicles passed through Pune city on Wednesday. The march will halt in Lonavala in the evening before resuming its journey towards Mumbai on Thursday.

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said the issue of reservation for Marathas is likely to be addressed by February without hurting the quotas of other communities.

He appealed to Jarange and members of the Maratha community to reconsider their decision to protest in Mumbai.

Kesarkar said so far 32,000 Kunbi records have been found in the Marathwada region and 24,000 caste certificates have been issued. ''This has also paved the way for issuing certificates to 13-14 lakh people from the Maratha community. The process of finding Kunbi records will take place across the state,'' he said. For those Marathas whose Kunbi records are not found, the government is seriously considering the issue, the minister said. He said the government has already filed a curative petition in the Supreme Court against its 2021 judgement to quash the Maharashtra law granting reservations to Marathas.