"Eknath Shinde will take a proper decision on the Maratha reservation": Maharashtra minister assures protestors

Nov 01, 2023

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 1 : Assuring reservation activist Manoj Patil, who ended his strike on Tuesday, of the government's support, Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant exuded confidence that the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led government will take a proper decision on the issue of the Maratha reservation.
"Eknath Shinde chaired a meeting of all Shiv Sena (Shinde Faction) MPs and MLAs. We are all confident that Eknath Shinde will take a proper decision on the Maratha reservation...," the State Minister of Industries said.
Reaching out to protestors, the Shinde government minister asserted that "demands were not wrong"
"I request Manoj Jarange Patil that if somebody is playing politics behind their protest, then it must be stopped...nobody is saying their demands are wrong. Govt is with them...," he added.
After his conversation with the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Manoj Jarange Patil who was on hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati village, demanding Maratha reservation, he ended his hunger strike.
In view of the ongoing Maratha reservation row in Maharashtra, the state government on Tuesday accepted the first report presented by the Shinde committee and issued a Government Resolution (GR), to decide the procedure for granting Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha in the Marathwada region.
The process of issuing Kunbi certificates has begun. The Kunbi community is eligible for reservations in the OBC category.
The GR (Government Resolution) noted, "The available documents from Marathwada and other regions concerning the Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha caste certificates, the (retired) justice Sandeep Shinde Committee's first report have been approved by the State Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde today."
CM Shinde reiterated that the state government is resolved to provide the Maratha reservation, which will pass the legal scrutiny.
According to the Shinde Committee report, approximately till October 30, 1,74,45,432 records have been checked and from them, 13,498 records of the Kunbi caste have been found as of now.
"Also, 460 evidence presented by the citizens in the review meeting in Marathwada were presented to the committee. During the investigation, most of the records in the old archives are in Modi script or Urdu language. The first report of the Justice Sandeep Shinde (Retd) committee has been accepted. After this report, the Kunbi caste certificate will be given to Marathas"," it added.
The Shinde committee reviewed the district-wise records in connection to the Maratha reservation. The committee directed the concerned 8 District Collectors to prepare a single sample for all the districts of Marathwada and inspect the records to submit a report to the government regarding the checked records.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the government is very positive about giving reservations to the Marathas.
The Deputy CM condemned the violence that occurred in Maharashtra's Beed on Monday and said that strict actions will be taken against those who are trying to spread violence.
"The incident that happened in Beed yesterday cannot be supported. The government is very positive in giving reservations to Marathas. Some decisions have been taken regarding it today as well. But some people are trying to spread violence and it will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against them," Fadnavis said after attending the cabinet meeting here on Tuesday.
The situation in Beed, Maharashtra, has returned to normal amid the heavy deployment of security personnel after protests erupted on Monday.
Deepa Mudhol Munde, District Collector, Beed said, "The situation is peaceful and there have been no law and order problems since the night of October 30. Section 144, which prohibits gatherings of more than four people, is still in effect. We have issued orders for an Internet ban."