Certain Political Parties are delaying Maratha Quota Dispute
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused certain political parties of intentionally delaying the resolution of the Maratha quota issue to keep it unresolved. Fadnavis made these allegations in response to questions about the Maratha quota agitation and claims by a former committee member who investigated the reservation matter for the Maratha community. B L Killarikar, a former member of the State Backward Class Commission, claimed that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was open to conducting a broader survey of communities in Maharashtra, but Fadnavis was not supportive of the idea. Fadnavis, in response to these allegations, pointed out that Killarikar had met Sharad Pawar, President of the Nationalist Congress Party, shortly after resigning from the Commission.
Fadnavis stated, "This is a clear indication that certain individuals are making statements on behalf of their political masters with the sole intention of delaying the resolution of the issue." Responding to queries about the resignation of Justice (retd) Anand Nirgude from the position of Chairman of the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission, the Deputy Chief Minister explained that Nirgude had cited "personal reasons" for his resignation. Fadnavis mentioned that efforts were made to persuade Nirgude to continue in a different capacity, but he insisted on resigning.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has accused the Mahayuti Government of exerting pressure on the Nirgude Commission to accept information from the commission led by Justice Sandeep Shinde, resulting in Nirgude's resignation. Nana Patole, President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, stated, "This pressure led to the resignations of both the members of the Nirgude Commission and the Chairman of the Backward Class Commission. The government must address this issue promptly; it is deliberately fueling the Maratha-OBC dispute by exacerbating the reservation conflict." In response to Congress's criticism, Fadnavis emphasized that the current government has appointed experts rather than political workers to committees and commissions. He also reiterated the government's stance of non-interference in the commission's operations.
