Maratha quota demand: Govt in huddle as Manoj Jarange's protest enters third day
Mumbai (PTI): Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis late night to discuss the ongoing hunger strike by activist Manoj Jarange in Mumbai to press for Maratha quota, sources said on Sunday.
Vikhe Patil heads a cabinet sub-committee on issues related to the Maratha community's demand for reservation and its social, educational and economic condition.
Jarange has been staging an indefinite hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai from Friday over his demand for a 10 per cent quota for Marathas under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
He has demanded that Marathas be recognised as Kunbis — an agrarian caste included in the OBC category — which will make them eligible for reservation in government jobs and education.
A government-appointed delegation led by retired high court Justice Sandeep Shinde on Saturday met Jarange, who demanded that Marathas in Marathwada be given the Kunbi status and a government resolution (GR) be issued saying Kunbis and Marathas are same.
Justice Shinde heads a committee set up to scrutinise Kunbi records of the Maratha community.
Vikhe Patil met CM Fadnavis late Saturday night to discuss the issue. The meeting lasted for an hour, according to sources.
Senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan was also present at the meet.
Jarange on Saturday slammed CM Fadnavis for sending Justice Shinde to hold talks with him.
"It is not Justice Shinde's job to issue a GR announcing grant of reservation to Marathas," Jarange said, vowing to continue the agitation.
Fadnavis has said the government was trying to find a solution to the issue within the constitutional and legal framework.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
