Maratha quota issue: Vinayak Raut writes letter to President Droupadi Murmu, demands special session of Parliament

Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Vinayak Raut has penned a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking time to meet her and demand a special session of Parliament. The purpose of this special session is to address the matter of reservation for the Maratha and Dhangar communities.

The letter, dated October 31, states that an 11-member delegation led by Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut wants to meet the president on November 5 or 6.  The Maratha community is pressing for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions within the OBC (Other Backward Classes) category, while the Dhangar (shepherd) community is seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray called for a special session of Parliament and expressed the belief that the central government can play a crucial role in resolving this issue. He said all Union ministers from Maharashtra should raise the reservation issue in the cabinet meeting. Thackeray also urged the Union ministers to resign if the (Maratha reservation) demand is not met.

Incidents of violence erupted in parts of Maharashtra over the past few days with the Maratha quota supporters vandalising the residences and offices of some politicians.