Congress leader Digvijaya Singh blames Fadnavis for Maratha reservation stir

In the wake of the Maratha reservation uproar, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh held Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responsible for the same.

"Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is himself responsible for facing the ire of the Maratha and Dhangar communities on the issue of reservation. He himself had promised to resolve the issue within a month," he said at a press conference here on Monday.

After the Maratha community called for a protest seeking reservations in government jobs, Fadnavis had cancelled his visit to a temple in Pandharpur town on Sunday.

The Chief Minister cancelled his 'mahapuja' of Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur temple, in the wake of the agitation.

In this regard, Digvijaya launched a veiled attack at Fadnavis, saying visiting the temple was a personal belief and not a political issue.

"CM Fadnavis should have visited Vittal Temple in Pandharpur on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi puja. None of the ministers were there. Why are they scared? For me, visiting Pandharpur is not a political issue; it's a personal belief," he said.

The protest took a steep turn on Monday when a youth jumped into the Godavari River amidst the 'Jal samadhi' agitation.

As per the police, Kakasaheb Shinde, a resident of Kaygaon village in Aurangabad district, died due to drowning, after he jumped off a bridge.

Following the death of the youth, Maratha Kranti Morcha workers vandalised a bus on the Aurangabad-Pune highway.

They also blocked the Mumbai-Pune highway, demanding the declaration of Shinde as a "martyr", a compensation of Rs. 50 lakh for his family, and a government job for his brother.
"We won't collect his body or perform his last rites until and unless our demands are met," a protestor told ANI.

(ANI)