All-party meeting in Mumbai on Monday to discuss Maratha quota: Ajit Pawar

livemint.com:

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar Sunday said an all-party meeting has been convened in Mumbai on Monday to discuss the Maratha quota issue, reported PTI. Several people from the Maratha community were rich but many were poor and needed help, Ajit Pawar said while addressing a rally in Kolhapur nearly 380 km from Mumbai. "While giving the reservation to the Maratha community, it must be ensured that Other Backward Classes are not affected.

Only discussions and meetings will solve this issue," PTI quoted Ajit Pawar as saying. Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange has been on hunger strike for the last 13 days demanding Kunbi status, which effectively means OBC quota, for all Marathas. Earlier in Pune, Ajit Pawar had said that “The government has taken all efforts to end the Jarange patil’s hunger strike.

Various efforts have been made so far which include government representatives including minister Girish Mahajan and Arjun Khotkar meeting Jarange Patil. However, he has refused to end the fast. Now, the Chief Minister has convened an all-party meeting on the reservation issue on Monday." Meanwhile, Jarange Patil, at Antarwali Sarati, welcomed the decision to convene an all-party meeting although he clarified that hunger strike will continue.