Fulfil Maratha quota demand, Chavan tells Centre, Maharashtra govt after activist ends life in Mumbai

Congress leader Ashok Chavan

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Oct 19 (PTI) The Centre and the Maharashtra government must take note of the suicide of Maratha activists and take all steps to fulfil the community’s demand for reservations, senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said on Thursday.

Chavan’s comment came against the backdrop of a Maratha quota activist hailing from Jalna allegedly committing suicide in Bandra in Mumbai in the early hours of the day.

Sunil Kawale, a resident of Chikangaon in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district, was found hanging from pole number 4 of a flyover between Bandra and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) in the western part of the metropolis.

A note found nearby sought quota for Marathas and asked community members to assemble in Mumbai on October 24 to take the fight ahead.

“It is unfortunate that the Maratha activist active in reservation agitation Sunil Kawle committed suicide. I have come to know about it through the media. I request everyone that they should not take any aggressive steps. We cannot get Maratha reservation by finishing our lives. We have to fight for it in a democratic way,” he said in a message on X.

“I request the centre and state government that they should take a serious note of suicides being done by Maratha activists. They should also immediately initiate concrete steps to fulfil the demand of Maratha reservation,” he further said on X.