Mumbai: In a significant development, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Monday put the ball in Centre’s court on the vexed reservation issue saying that it would be the government if it decides to increase the cap of reservation above 50 per cent.
Besides, he also urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to convene an all-party meeting to discuss the issue and ensure that there is no bitterness among the Marathas and Other Backward Classes.
Pawar’s statement comes at a time when the war-of-words between the Marathas and OBCs and the ruling Maha Yuti (NDA) and Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.) is escalating by the day.
"The Central government has the right to give reservations above 50 per cent. Therefore, if it takes a positive step towards this issue, we will cooperate with them," Pawar told reporters in Pune.
Pawar said at present the reservation can not be given more than 50 percent because of the cap of the Supreme Court. "The judiciary has given this decision. All political parties in Maharashtra should come together without political differences and urge the Centre to take necessary steps to remove the 50 per cent cap. Tamil Nadu already has 76 per cent reservation. So the Maharashtra government should take the initiative to urge Centre on this issue," the veteran politician said.
It may be recalled, last week, Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray has called for Centre’s intervention in this regard.
On the Marathas vs OBCs face off, Pawar said, “The chief minister should invite Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil who has taken great pains to highlight the matter, and also the OBC leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal for the all-party meeting, while the MVA would join as the opposition.”
On the threat by Jarange-Patil to contest all the Assembly seats, Pawar said, “In a democracy, everybody has the right to contest elections and seek votes”.
On the charge of MNS President Raj Thackeray that he is trying to gain political mileage, he said, “I don’t understand why he (Raj Thackeray) uttered my name two-three times that day."
Pawar went on to add, " I have no such record and I would never go down such a route… I never did it and don’t intend to in future. He further claimed that I was trying to obstruct his vehicle. Even my car was blocked (in Solapur) by some people, so shall I be blamed for it now?"