AMN / MUMBAI
NCP president Sharad Pawar today asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to hold talks with representatives of the Maratha outfits to end the ongoing stand-off over the quota demand.
In a statement issued tonight, Pawar lamented that instead of taking the grievances of the community seriously, the chief minister and certain ministers have given provocative statements.
Pawar’s remarks came on a day the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) observed a bandh in Maharashtra and called for a shutdown in Mumbai.
The stir turned violent today with incidents of arson and stone-pelting being reported from various parts of the state. Pawar also appealed to the protesters to ensure that public and private property is not damaged and the common man not made to suffer due to agitation.
He said that highly educated and well-off Marathas need not be considered for reservation. Mr Pawar stated that the deprived sections of the community need reservation but at the same time that the reservation for scheduled caste and scheduled tribes as well as OBCs is not diluted.