Only Centre can resolve Maratha reservation issue, but PM, Shah are busy campaigning: Raut

Raut's party's stand has been that the Marathas in Maharashtra should be given reservation but it should not eat into the existing quotas of other communities.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said only the Union government can find a solution to the Maratha quota issue, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were busy with poll campaigns while Maharashtra was 'burning'.

His party's stand has been that the Marathas in Maharashtra should be given reservation but it should not eat into the existing quotas of other communities, the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters here.

'Only the Centre can do it (resolve the Maratha reservation issue) but PM Modi is busy with poll campaign. Amit Shah is campaigning from Chhattisgarh to Mizoram, and Maharashtra is burning,' Raut said.

Modi should speak to Maratha activist Manoj Jarange who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for the quota demand, he said.

'People are committing suicide. If anything happens to him (Jarange), Maharashtra will burn. Do they want Maharashtra to burn?' Raut asked.

It was also the responsibility of the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government to fulfil the Maratha community's demand, he added.