'What is your opinion on Maratha protestors demand...': Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar questions Sharad Pawar

MUMBAI: Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar has questioned NCP-SP Chief Sharad Pawar regarding his stance on Maratha protestors' demand for reservations from the OBC quota. This comes amid ongoing debates over Maratha and OBC reservations in Maharashtra. Shelar criticized Pawar and other opposition parties for not attending an all-party meeting called by CM Eknath Shinde to address these concerns.
"Sharad Pawar is a senior leader and reacting on his statement over something might not have been appropriate if his statement was clear. We want to know when protest for Maratha reservation was going on, by looking at the fear of OBC community, all-party meeting was called by CM (Eknath Shinde). At that time your party NCP-SCP was not ready to attend the meeting, Uddhav Thackeray's party and Congress were also not ready to come. Why did you people not attend the meeting. Now everyone wants to know, what is your opinion on Maratha reservation protestors demand that they need reservation from OBC quota," said Shelar.
This inquiry follows a meeting between Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Sharad Pawar, during which Bhujbal discussed the clashes between members of the Maratha and OBC communities over reservation issues.
Bhujbal emphasized the need for unity among political leaders to prevent further conflicts.
"NCP-SCP Chief Sharad Pawar knows how the people of different communities are living in villages. I told him that there are clashes in villages in connection with the Maratha reservation. This can be stopped if leaders of all parties come together, otherwise the situation will keep worsening. He (Sharad Pawar) said he would speak to CM Shinde and try to bring out a solution," Bhujbal said after the meeting. This meeting marked the first encounter between Bhujbal and Pawar since the NCP split in July last year.
Manoj Jarange Patil, a prominent advocate for Maratha reservations, previously paused his indefinite fast in June, giving the Maharashtra government a deadline to comply with the community's demands for OBC-category reservations. Jarange has been pushing for such reservations for several years.
In February, during a special assembly session, the Maharashtra government approved a Bill to extend 10 percent reservation to the Marathas. This decision was based on a report by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC).