Ministers held talks with Jarange in earlier protests, but none engaging now: Rohit Pawar

Mumbai, Sep 2 (PTI) NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar on Tuesday claimed that while several Maharashtra ministers held talks with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange during his previous agitations, not a single minister engaged with the protesters this time.

Why is the government "pretending to be asleep"? he asked.

Jarange has been staging a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai since August 29 over his demand for reservation to the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) grouping.

Thousands of his supporters from across the state have joined the agitation in the state capital.

The stand-off over the Maratha quota issue showed no sign of resolving as Jarange's indefinite fast entered its fifth day on Tuesday.

The 43-year-old activist has in the last couple of years held several agitations to press for reservation to Marathas.

"In the previous agitation, since elections were around the corner, as many as 10 ministers used to come for talks. But now, not a single representative has turned up to hold discussions or make any attempt to find a solution. Is this a right stand of the government?" Pawar asked in a post on X.

He also accused some leaders in the government of deliberately attempting to discredit the agitation and weaken public sympathy towards it.

"On the one hand, there is no dialogue with the protesters, and on the other, conspiracies are being hatched to malign the movement and set a narrative. Does this behove those in power?" the Opposition NCP (SP) legislator asked.

He appealed to the protesters not to commit any mistake, claiming the government was only "looking for an opportunity".

The agitators must maintain peace and follow rules, while the state should not remain a spectator but instead make efforts to find an immediate solution, Pawar said.

"The chief minister is busy with Ganpati darshan, one deputy chief minister is away in his village, while the other deputy chief minister is nowhere to be seen. Despite such a sensitive issue, why is the government pretending to be asleep?" Pawar asked. PTI ND GK