Mumbai, Sep 15 (IANS) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, on Tuesday issued a firm public appeal urging Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil to reconsider his proposed march to the state capital Mumbai.
The appeal comes in the wake of Mumbai Police denying permission for the agitation at Azad Maidan, citing law and order concerns during the ongoing Ganeshotsav festivities.
Reiterating the state administration’s “positive stance” toward the Maratha community’s demands, Shinde emphasised that while the government respects the right to peaceful protest, ensuring public order and avoiding inconvenience to millions of Ganesh devotees remain the top priorities.
Highlighting the scale of Mumbai’s largest festival, Shinde appealed directly to the protest organisers to adopt a collaborative approach.
“Ganeshotsav is a major festival, drawing lakhs of devotees from across India and abroad to Mumbai,” he stated.
“The government’s priority is to ensure no inconvenience is caused to Ganesh devotees and that law and order is maintained. Just as the government has taken four steps forward, Manoj Jarange Patil should also adopt a cooperative approach and reconsider his decision to enter Mumbai,” he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister recalled that the Maratha community has previously conducted 58 massive, peaceful rallies that gained worldwide respect for maintaining exemplary discipline without disrupting public life.
While welcoming constructive feedback and democratic expression, Shinde cautioned against political exploitation.
He warned that external elements must not derail the movement into a political agenda or exploit the sentiments of underprivileged Maratha youth, reaffirming that the administration remains fully open to constitutional dialogue on all sub-judice matters.
Addressing the media, Shinde outlined several legislative and administrative steps taken by the government to support the Maratha community without compromising the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) or other communities.
Following the findings of the Justice Shukre Commission, a special legislative session was convened to enact a 10 per cent quota for the Maratha community in jobs and education, which is currently being utilised by students and the youth.
Despite ongoing legal challenges and Supreme Court stays, the state government ensured job appointments for 5,300 previously-stalled candidate selections. Under the Justice Shinde Committee, dedicated cells at district collectorates have verified historical records, issuing lakhs of Kunbi caste certificates statewide, he said.
He further noted that the interest-free loan ceiling provided through the Annasaheb Patil Arthik Vikas Mahamandal was raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh. Additional benefits, including foreign study scholarships, hostel accommodations, and SARTHI institute concessions, have been aligned with existing OBC welfare schemes.
–IANS
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