NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: Amid demand of caste surveys across India and the ongoing Marathas-vs-Other Backward Classes (OBCs) reservation issue in Maharashtra, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Friday suggested to increase the 50 per cent cap on reservation to 75 per cent.
The octogenarian Pawar, one of the seniormost leaders of India with close to six decades in politics, called for Centre’s intervention to resolve the issue.
Pawar said that a Constitutional amendment must be brought in to increase the reservation.
“If in Tamil Nadu it can be 78 per cent, why can't it be 75 per cent in Maharashtra,” said Pawar, adding that the Centre has to take a lead on this issue. “We will support them,” he said.
Pawar said that there is a feeling that people should get reservations, however, there is nothing wrong with that.
“But it is important to ensure that the existing reservation to other communities is not affected. The existing reservation should not be harmed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson and MLA Sanjay Shirsat asked why Pawar could not get the reservation issue resolved when he was in the government.
“Sharad Pawar was CM of Maharashtra four times and Congress had a full majority that time. Why did Sharad Pawar not remember this then? The issues were kept hanging and now, they are talking about it when elections are nearing,” he said in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Had Pawar taken steps earlier, the quota issue would have been solved long ago. “The government is now doing whatever it can to arrive at a solution,” he said.
With PTI inputs