Maharashtra govt will present its stand on Maratha reservation in SC: Sharad Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday said the Maharashtra government will present its stand on Maratha reservation in the Supreme Court.

"The state government is in favour of Maratha reservation. The government will present its stand on the issue in the Supreme Court," NCP chief said during a press conference here.

Earlier this month, the apex court directed that no quota will be granted to people of the Maratha community in education and jobs in the state this year and referred the hearing on a batch of plea challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law granting Maratha reservation in education and jobs to a larger bench.

The bench held that no Maratha quota will be granted for jobs and admissions for the session 2020-21 and said that admissions to postgraduate courses in the state will not be altered.

Meanwhile, Pawar condemned the Hathras incident and said: "The girl has been murdered. Instead of handing her body to her family, somebody else cremated it without their consent. It was never seen anywhere in the country before. This is an example of how wrong the Uttar Pradesh Government and police are behaving by taking laws into their hands," Pawar said.

He also criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police over the arrest of Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi on their way to meet the alleged Hathras rape victim's family.

"Rahul Gandhi went there, his associates went there, you aren't allowing them to meet the family and you are arresting them midway. This proves that you have no trust in the primary rights of the state of law. Hence whatever reaction is there across the country is correct," added Pawar.

Various parties and orgsations have been demanding justice for the alleged Hathras gang-rape victim.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Youth Congress members, Left parties, members of Bhim Army and student orgsations, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and CPI leader D Raja staged protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attended the prayer meet for the Hathras victim at Maharishi Valmiki Temple in the national capital.

The UP government had formed an SIT to probe the incident and said that the matter will be heard in the fast track court.

The 19-year-old woman died at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on September 29. All the four accused in the incident have been arrested.

An uproar has erupted over the incident with the opposition also raising questions over the manner in which the last rites of the victim were performed. The police have said that consent of the family was taken for cremation.

( With inputs from ANI )