Congress MLAs on Monday offered to resign collectively as a mark of protest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government’s ‘dilly-dallying’ on the issue of reservations for the Maratha community. The party MLAs who met on Monday afternoon also held a meeting with Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao seeking his intervention in the matter.
“Party MLAs have very sensitive emotions over the issue of Maratha reservation. We have not taken any decision on resignation of our MLAs. Party’s opinion has to be voiced inside the Assembly and government must be made answerable for its delays inside the legislative house,” said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan.
Earlier in the meeting of Congress legislators, several party MLAs offered their resignation as a mark of protest. While no official confirmation was made by the party, a senior leader on condition of anonymity said that the party leadership has asked the MLAs to restrain their emotions and corner the government inside the Assembly.
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In a memorandum to the Governor, the party said the government would be to blame if the law and order situation deteriorates if a decision on the quota issue is not announced immediately.
The delegation to Raj Bhavan was led by Mr. Chavan and included Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan among others.
“The position of the BJP and the Shiv Sena over quota is vague. Therefore, no concrete decision has been taken on reservations to Marathas, Muslim, Dhangar, Mahadev Koli and Lingayat communities. The government wants to keep these issues pending,” the memorandum said.
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“In such a scenario, we urge you to intervene and instruct the government to declare its decisions regarding reservations of these communities without any delay,” it added.
The Congress charged the government with “hoodwinking” these communities. The absence of any decision has threatened peace and communal harmony in the state, the party said. Later in the day, a Congress delegation met the Backward Class Commission chairman Maroti Gaikwad, requesting him to submit his report at the earliest.
NCP meeting
Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) too held a meeting of its MLAs in Mumbai on the issue. The party MLAs too met the Governor and Mr. Gaikwad with the demand to speed up the process.
The NCP charged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and some ministers with “infuriating” Marathas after they decided to protest in temple town of Pandharpur on July 23. Mr. Fadnavis had talked about the government having inputs on possibility of some people creating disturbances when lakhs of people throng Pandharpur on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi.
“Their statements caused the agitation to turn aggressive,” the memorandum submitted by NCP leaders including Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dhananjay Munde said.
Another MLA resigns
Abdul Sattar (Congress), who represents Sillod Assembly seat in Aurangabad district, has sent a resignation letter to Assembly Speaker Haribhau Bagde.
Mr. Sattar said he was quitting, as the state government has not taken any decision on reservation to Marathas, Muslim, Dhangar and Mahadev Koli communities.
Last week five MLAs — two from NCP and one each from Shiv Sena, Congress and BJP — had resigned over the reservation issue.
(With PTI inputs)