Winter Session: Reservation continues to rock and stall legislature

NCP MLA Prakash Gajbhiye, dressed as Shivaji, greets colleagues on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan on Thursday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

For the third day in a row, on Thursday, proceedings in the Assembly and Council came to a shouting halt over the issue of reservations for Marathas, Muslims and Dhangars.

The highlight of the day was NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who in complete contradiction to his previous statement, said the Backward Class Commission report of Marathas must be tabled in the House. Another NCP senior and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal said the Maratha quota should be beyond the existing quantum of 52%, so that the OBC quota is not encroached upon.

Even as the debate and shouting continued, some bills were tabled and approved in the lower house. The upper house was no different, where, other than reservations, the government was grilled over drought. Both houses wanted to know what the government would do to meet the demands of the farmers who had reached Mumbai to seek justice. To a question by BJP's Ashish Shelar, Pawar said he was against changing his opinion, but he justified his demand on Thursday saying the various statements made by the people in the government had created great confusion in society.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reiterated that the existing quota would not be compromised for the Maratha reservation. About the Dhangar issue, he said the Centre would decide on it.

The houses were stalled as the Opposition demanded to know the quantum of the Maratha quota, development in the Dhangar issue, and the Muslim quota which was upheld by the high court four years ago.

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