Maratha reservation: Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction) MP Hemant Patil on Sunday announced his resignation in support of the ongoing movement in Maharashtra, which is demanding reservation for the Maratha community. He will submit his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. Patil represents the Hingoli Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra.
Hemant Patil met the Maratha activists who were protesting in the Pofali Sugar Factory area today in support of the reservation movement. During this meeting, he wrote a letter addressed to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
Here's what Patil said in a resignation letter
In his letter, Patil wrote that the issue of the Maratha reservation has been pending for several years, and the emotions of society regarding reservation are very intense. He stated that he is a dedicated worker for the Maratha community and farmers. On the issue of reservation, he is resigning from his position. " I am an activist fighting for Maratha society and farmers. I am resigning from my post on the issue of reservation," he said.
Maratha quota agitation
The Maratha community has been staging protests and demonstrations to demand reservation in government jobs and educational institutions under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The agitation intensified after quota activist Manoj Jarange sat on an indefinite fast from October 25 as part of the second phase of the protest. On his appeal, many villages have banned the entry of political leaders.
Jarange has announced that fast-unto-death protests will begin in villages across Maharashtra from Sunday if the state government fails to act on the pending demand of the Maratha community. The Maharashtra government's stated position is that it is committed to granting the reservation to the Maratha community which stands legal scrutiny.