Will Quit Politics If Attempts Are Made To Disturb Reservation: Praful Patel

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Working President Praful Patel on Saturday said that he will retire from politics if any attempts are made to disturb the reservation.

"... in such a situation there will be no point to hold any post or remain in. politics. I will retire from politics. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has given reservation in our Constitution. No one can disturb that (reservation) or change its original structure," he said during his visit to Gondia in the state's Vidarbha region.

Praful Patel said that during the Lok Sabha elections, "people fell victim to the fake narrative that the Constitution will be changed and there will be an end to reservation".

"But now, people have realised. Many like us who are sitting in the Parliament taking oaths to the Constitution will not allow this to happen," he added.

On the politically sensitive issue of the Maratha reservation, Patel said that the MahaYuti government is committed to providing the quota.

"The government has already enacted legislation providing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community. The Congress and all other parties have been in power for many years. The question of reservation for Marathas is of yesterday, not today... it is very old. This community has been demanding reservation for years," he said.

Patel further said: "All three parties are working as a grand alliance (MahaYuti) in Maharashtra and will face this election successfully in Maharashtra. The MahaYuti will form the next government after the Assembly election."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)