Working within constitutional framework: Fadnavis as Maratha quota talks fail again

Talks between Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil and a state government-appointed delegation ended without a breakthrough on Saturday, with Patil insisting on continuing his hunger strike at Azad Maidan.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured that the demands of the protesters will be addressed within the legal and constitutional framework as the agitation entered its second day on Saturday.

Notably, a court ruling restricted the protest to 5,000 participants for one day - a condition Patil has contested, further intensifying Maharashtra’s political climate.

On Monday, the tenure of the Justice Sandeep Shinde Committee was extended by six months. The committee is examining the possibility of granting Kunbi certificates to Marathas based on historical records from the Hyderabad Gazette.

Jarange, who began his protest on Friday demanding Marathas be granted Kunbi status to qualify for reservation under the OBC category, criticised Fadnavis for sending retired Justice Sandeep Shinde for discussions.

"It is not the job of Justice Shinde to issue a Government Resolution (GR) announcing a grant of reservation to Marathas," Jarange said, calling the move "an insult of the government, Raj Bhavan and the state".

Jarange argued that Marathas in Marathwada should be recognised as Kunbis, citing Hyderabad and Satara gazettes.

Justice Shinde, on the other hand, responded that he was not authorised to make such recommendations. "Caste certificate is given to individuals and not the entire community," he noted, adding that the matter falls under the backward class commission.

Fadnavis later said that his government was working to address the issue within "the legal and constitutional framework".

He stressed that the 10 percent quota for Marathas under the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC) category granted last year "was still in force".

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With agency inputs