Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and state Minister Ashok Chavan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s official residence, 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi, on Tuesday, 8 June.
Speaking after the meeting, Thackeray said issues related to Maratha reservation, the metro car shed, Cyclone Tauktae relief work and GST compensation were discussed with the PM.
The meeting went on for around one-and-a-half hours. According to sources, CM Thackeray also held a separate half-an-hour-long meeting with the PM.
“We may not be politically together, but that doesn’t mean our relationship has broken. ‘Main koi Nawaz Sharif se nahi milne gaya tha’ (I didn’t go to meet (former Pakistan PM) Nawaz Sharif). So if I meet him (PM) separately in person, there is nothing wrong with it.”Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, as quoted by ANI
Referring to the COVID-19 inoculation drive and the centralisation of the vaccine policy announced by PM Narendra Modi on Monday, the Maharashtra CM reportedly said, "We'd require 12 crore doses to inoculate 6 crore people twice, in the 18-44 years age group. We tried but couldn't do it as there wasn't adequate and steady supply. (We're) thankful to the PM for centralising vaccine procurement. I hope everyone in India is vaccinated soon."
Before this, the Maharashtra CM had penned a letter to PM Modi, in a bid to ask for vaccines for people above 18 years of age, and sought permission to produce the vaccine at the Haffkine Institute in Mumbai. Modi had accepted both these requests.
Thackeray Met Pawar on Monday
Thackeray reached Delhi earlier on Tuesday, leading the state government delegation, to meet PM Modi.
On Monday, Thackeray had met NCP chief and alliance partner Sharad Pawar. "CM Uddhav Thackeray met Sharad Pawar to discuss issues, including Maratha reservation, ahead of the meeting with PM Modi. A delegation of the Maharashtra CM, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and Maratha reservation sub-committee head Ashok Chavan will meet the PM on Tuesday," state minister Eknath Shinde was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Maratha Quota Issue
The issue of Maratha quota in the state has gained traction ever since the Supreme Court last month struck down the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act of 2018, which granted reservation to the Maratha community in education as well as jobs.
The court had said breaching the 50 percent ceiling in reservation, unless there are exceptional circumstances, violates Article 14 of the Constitution, as it upheld the apex court judgment in the Indra Sawhney case of 1992.
After the Supreme Court’s striking of the reservation, the Maharashtra BJP had targeted the Thackeray government. However, the CM has reportedly urged the central government to intervene in this matter and has requested the issue to be under the authority of the President.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati had met heads of all political parties of the state on the issue of reservation, and went on to announce a statewide agitation for Maratha reservation at the 348th coronation ceremony anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on Sunday, 13 June.
On 31 May, the state government had passed a resolution to incorporate the Maratha community in the 10 percent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)