A day after Maratha quota strike, Devendra Fadnavis arrives in Mumbai to hold meeting with BJP leaders, ministers

Under pressure over the demand for reservation for the Maratha community, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived in Mumbai to hold a meeting with senior BJP leaders and ministers. Fadnavis was in the city a day after Maratha organisations called for a shutdown in Mumbai and surrounding areas.

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Earlier in the day at a meeting of BJP spokespersons in Thane district's Bhayander, Fadnavis said that his government was making "sincere" and "serious" efforts to grant reservations for the Maratha community in the state.

"Some Maratha leaders are trying to get political mileage from the quota stir," he claimed and exhorted BJP workers to ensure masses get to know about the government's efforts to bring about reservations.

He said that spokespersons were an important link between the government, the party and the people.

"It's their job to ensure that the good work being done by the government reaches the people," he added.

Maratha groups had called for a shutdown in Mumbai and its surrounding areas on Wednesday, which led to violence in some places. After the protestors called off the strike, Fadnavis issued a statement saying that the leaders from the community should come forward for talks with the government instead of resorting to agitation and violence.

Four MLAs have offered to resign since Wednesday in support of the Maratha quota demand. They are Harshvardhan Jadhav (Shiv Sena), Bhausaheb Patil Chikatgaonkar (NCP), Bharat Bhalke (Congress) and Rahul Aher (BJP).

With inputs from PTI