Former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Sunday asked the state government to list the steps it has taken in the last month regarding the Maratha quota demand.
The senior Congress leader claimed a person committed suicide in Nanded district earlier in the day.
“One Shubham Pawar died by suicide in Nanded district on Sunday morning. His family members were highly agitated and sought some help. I request the state government to expedite its decision-making procedure and develop solutions for the Maratha community,” Chavan stated.
He said the number of people turning up to attend rallies of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange is over ten lakh.
"The state has not revealed the steps it has taken in the last few weeks regarding issuing reservations to the Maratha community,” he added.
Jarange had given an ultimatum of 40 days to the state government for awarding quota to Marathas which is expiring on Tuesday.
On Sunday, he threatened to widen the scope of the stir and to launch an indefinite fast from October 25 seeking the reservation for Marathas in government jobs and education under the OBC category.
Notably, the state government has issued an advertisement in prominent newspapers listing various schemes being implemented for the Maratha community. It also mentioned about the benefits being given to the Maratha community in jobs and student admission under the EWS (Economically Weaker Section) quota.
On October 19, the body of Maratha quota activist Sunil Kawale was found hanging from a lamp post along a flyover in Mumbai's Bandra area. He had left behind a suicide note seeking quota for the community.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has said his government was committed to giving reservations in jobs and education to the Maratha community. He urged the youth not to take extreme steps like suicide.