Congress, NCP offered support in terms of numbers to push through the quota legislation
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held an all-party meeting to address the situation created by the violent Maratha agitation in several parts of the state. The opposition says the chief minister's actions have come too late and each party wants to ensure they get credit for forcing the government to act on pushing through with the Maratha quotas.
Mr Fadnavis appealed for calm after the all-party meeting which was convened to find a way to implement a 16 per cent quota for Marathas, in government jobs and education.
The meeting was attended by parties like the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. The opposition said this should have been done earlier and the government was simply dilly-dallying on this issue all this while.
Addressing reporters outside the Vidhan Bhavan, the venue of the meeting, Mr Fadnavis told reporters, "We have to rectify the mistakes made earlier so that the court does not strike it down. The report of the Maharashtra State Backward Classes commission is very important. The last time when this was done without the report, the court struck it down. We have requested the commission to give the report to the government as soon as possible. Once the report comes we will call for a special session of the Maharashtra assembly for this."
But on the issue of the government going ahead with hiring for 72,000 jobs, there was no back-pedaling. The government says once the reservation is passed, even Marathas will benefit and the idea that Marathas will lose out is a misconception. "We will ensure that everyone gets a fair share and there will be no injustice," the chief minister said.
The Congress and the NCP which attacked the government for delaying the quota offered support in terms of numbers to push through the legislation especially if it requires a three-fourth majority. The opposition too does not want to let go of the opportunity to show that it pushed the government to act.
Leader of opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told reporters, "The government called this meeting because their inaction was exposed. The government has been dragging its feet for four years and it is paying a price for that. We hope the government has realized it is late and it has the support of the opposition to implement these quotas."
What will perhaps help in calming the situation on the ground is the government's directions to the police to withdraw all cases except those who have been caught on camera vandalising property and assaulting policemen on camera.
Mr Fadnavis told reporters, "Some people say they have been booked in spite of not being present at the spot of the violence. Some say they were present but did not indulge in violence. That is why the state government has decided that only those who attacked the police or vandalized buses and property and have been seen doing so in footage will be booked and all other cases will be withdrawn."
Amol Jadhav Rao, a Maratha leader, reacted to the developments. "When it comes to reservation we know the government can't interfere with the commission. But they have not even given them enough infrastructure and workforce. If there is no proper infrastructure, how will they work without infrastructure and workforce?" he said.