Sharad Pawar. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Nationalist Congress Party [NCP(SP)] president Sharad Pawar urged the BJP-led Centre on Friday (October 4, 2024) to bring a Constitutional amendment to increase reservation in education and government jobs beyond the existing cap of 50%.
Speaking to reporters in Sangli, Mr. Pawar said that while granting reservation to Marathas, who have been agitating for quota, care should be taken to ensure that such limits meant for other communities are not disturbed.
“Currently, the cap on reservation is 50%. But if Tamil Nadu can have 78% (quota for various communities), why can’t Maharashtra have 75% reservation,” he asked. The Centre should take the lead and bring a constitutional amendment to raise the quota cap. “We will support the amendment,” he said.
Also read: Will support, if Centre extends the 50% ceiling on reservations, says Sharad Pawar
Mr. Pawar said the seat-sharing talks among the Leaders of the Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will continue next week. “I would only advise the leaders to conclude the talks as early as possible so that we can go to the people, who are looking for a change,” he said.
MVA partners NCP(SP), Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress fought the recent Lok Sabha polls as one unit and performed impressively, winning 30 of the 48 seats in the State. The Maharashtra Assembly polls are due in November.
Mr. Pawar said people are positive towards bringing a change in the government and the MVA should respect their sentiments. The NCP(SP) chief also welcomed the decision to accord the “classical language” tag to Marathi and congratulated the Central Government for it.
However, Mr. Pawar said the Maharashtra Government must be concerned about the dwindling number of students opting to learn Marathi and the closure of Marathi language schools in the State. “Discussions on these aspects are needed and a way to resolve the issue needs to be found,” he said.
He also alleged that while the State Government has been showering populist schemes, it was diverting funds meant for other programmes.
Watch | Maratha reservation stir | What are its implications of the OBC backlash?
“The arrears of government aid to the Sangli cancer hospital is more than ₹4 crore. Across the State, the arrears of aid to cancer hospitals are ₹700 crore. I was told that since funds needed to be diverted to the populist schemes, the administration was helpless. If this is the situation in the medical field, what can be said about other areas. There are many government-aided hospitals that are not just dedicated to cancer,” Mr. Pawar said.
He said there is anger in the State over incidents such as the Badlapur case, wherein a contractual sweeper, who later died in an alleged shootout with police, allegedly sexually assaulted two kindergarten girls on school premises.
“People feel that though financial aid is given to women, their safety and security are being ignored,” he said. Asked about Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s comment that the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme to provide financial assistance to women could affect the timely payment of subsidies in other sectors, Mr. Pawar said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had termed such schemes ‘revdi culture’ which need to stop.
“Gadkari has a constructive and non-political approach to development,” he said, adding that roads have improved during the tenure of the BJP leader, who is also the Union Minister of road transport and highways.
To a question about Mr. Gadkari’s claim that he had been offered the PM’s chair by the Opposition multiple times, Mr. Pawar said, “We did not make any such offer. If we don’t have the required number of MPs, how can we make such an offer.”
Asked about the “secrets” behind his energy, Mr. Pawar, who will turn 84 in December, said it increases with his age.
About PM Modi’s likely visits to Maharashtra ahead of Assembly polls, he said the PM addressed 18 rallies before the Lok Sabha elections and lost in 14 constituencies. “For Assembly elections too, he should address many rallies,” he equipped.
Published – October 04, 2024 12:32 pm IST