State-appointed panels working on 'sage soyare' notification for Maratha quota: Eknath Shinde

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday said committees are working on the 'sage soyare' notification for reservations for the Marathas and the state government will not fool any community.

The chief minister's statement has come even as activist Manoj Jarange launched a fresh indefinite fast, his sixth in over a year, to press for the demand for reservation to Marathas under the OBC category.

Jarange has been demanding the implementation of the draft notification that recognises Kunbis as 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) of Maratha community members and granting reservation to the latter under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

He has also said the government must consider the gazettes of Satara, Bombay and Hyderabad to provide reservations to the community.

Shinde, who was in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for the Marathwada Liberation Day, said, "The state-appointed Justice Shinde committee has started working on the issue, and the Kunbi certificates are being given (to Marathas). This is a big success. We have also given 10 per cent reservation to Marathas without disturbing the quota for other communities." The committee headed by (retd) Justices Sandeep Shinde and Sunil Shukre are working on the 'sage soyare' notification and gazette issue, he said.

"The government will not fool or mislead anyone. Whatever we give will be in the frame of law," he said.

Shinde further said that the government has given a lot to the Maratha community.

"After the government has cooperated so much, the Maratha community should also cooperate. Questions should also be posed to those (opposition parties) who were in power earlier. Our policy is clear that the Maratha community should be given justice, but injustice should not be done to any other community," the chief minister said.

When asked about seat sharing of the Mahayuti constituents for the upcoming state elections, Shinde said the talks were underway.