BJP’s Danve asks opposition in Maharashtra to make stand clear on Maratha quota

Mumbai, Jul 31 (PTI) BJP leader and former Union minister Raosaheb Danve on Wednesday said the opposition in Maharashtra must make its stand clear whether it wants to give reservation to Marathas from the OBC quota.

Talking to reporters, Danve, who served as Maharashtra BJP chief in the past, said his party’s stand is clear that it wants to give reservation to Marathas without hurting the interests of other communities.

“Maratha reservation activists should go to leaders of all political parties and seek clarification on the stand taken by (activist Manoj) Jarange on Maratha reservation that they should be given reservation from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. They should go to the Congress first, then the NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT),” he said.

“They (the Maratha activists) should insist that if you are going to give reservation from the OBC quota, then you must add it in your manifesto,” Danve said.

His remarks come after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday said the quota issue can only be addressed by the Centre by passing an amendment to remove the cap of 50 per cent reservation. The state government, Thackeray said, does not have the authority to address this issue.

The Maratha activists also met Thackeray at his residence on Tuesday.

“Shiv Sena (UBT) must make its stand clear. He did not meet the activists for two days and then said this is the job (to give quotas to Marathas) of the Centre,” Danve said.

He said till the time the Maratha community didn’t ask them for their stand on reservation, they kept pointing fingers at the ruling Mahayuti government in Maharashtra.

The moment the Maratha community started asking questions to the Maha Vikas Aghadi, it pointed fingers at the Centre, Danve added.