Rane wants quota Bill passed in this session

Senior Congress leader and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Narayan Rane on Monday demanded that the law for granting reservation for Marathas in jobs and educational institutes be passed in the current Assembly session. Rane said a delegation of the Maratha morcha will come to meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and submit their charter of demands on Wednesday.

Rane was the head of the committee appointed by the former government of Congress-NCP combine to study and make recommendations for reservations to the Maratha community.

In a context with the ongoing case filed in the court by Maratha community leaders seeking reservation to the community, Rane said, “The government has to file an affidavit granting the reservation quota.”

To a query on the last silent morcha, Rane remarked that if the government meets the demands of the community, then there would be no need for the community to agitate any further.

He said the chief minister is expected to make a statement on the motion tabled by the treasury benche on the Maratha reservation issue.

Meanwhile, 20 lakh people are expected to participate in the Maratha silent Morcha on Wednesday to demand reservation for the community.

Seeking to table an adjournment motion in the council, Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde thundered “For what are you debating? Give the reservation quota to Marathas.”

Earlier, BJP member and MLC Vinayak Mete wanted to take up a short duration debate on his motion on reservation. Members of Congress and NCP continued to create an uproar over the issue which forced chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar to adjourn the proceedings for 20 minutes in the afternoon.

Munde argued that the Maratha community has been demanding reservation quota since the winter session of the legislature in December 2014. He added that lakhs of Marathas who will be part of the massive rally on August 9 are there for the government to declare the reservation rather in hope for debate in the legislature.