Fadnavis ready to hold talks with Maratha organisations

Mumbai, July 25: After Maratha Kranti Morcha demanding reservation for Maratha community called off the bandh, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday expressed willingness to hold talks with the organisation.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "The government has taken cognisance of protest by Maratha community and has taken several decisions. Govt is ready to talk to them."

"Government had made a law for reservation to the community but that was stayed by Bombay High Court, said, Fadnavis.

Devendra Fadnavis had called for an emergency high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the "progress" made by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on the issue.

However, the Maratha community claimed that the government need not wait for the commission to finalise its report as the Backward Class Commission was already considering the proposal to accord OBC status to Marathas, and its work was going on.

Through the day, protesters blocked arterial roads, including the Mumbai-Pune highway and the Eastern Expressway, and forced shops to shut in pockets of Raigad. Local train routes were blocked in Jogeshwari and near Thane. Violent protests had erupted in parts of the state on Tuesday after a protester committed suicide by jumping into a river in Aurangabad.