BJP eggs Marathas on for stir as its MP meets Sharad Pawar, Raj Thackeray

MUMBAI: BJP state unit president Chandrakant Patil on Thursday urged the Maratha community to take to the streets to demand reservation. BJP MP Sambhajiraje even met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and MNS president Raj Thackeray seeking support on the issue, causing much unease in some quarters in the party.
The day also saw trading of charges between the BJP and the Congress on Maratha reservation. The Congress alleged that the Nagpur-based ‘Save Nation, Save Merit’ organisation, which is spearheading the agitation against Maratha reservation, had the tacit support of the RSS and BJP. The BJP said Congress politicians were working against the community.
Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the founder of ‘Save Nation, Save Merit’ was the East Vidarbha coordinator of the BJP. BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye called Sawant’s allegation baseless and said Congress and NCP were supporting the anti-Maratha movement. “Sawant must find out who are the donors of the organisation,” he said.
BJP state chief Patil, brushing aside opposition taunts about Sambhajiraje meeting Pawar and asking him to take the initiative in the reservation matter after PM Modi allegedly refused to see him, said that if Raje would lead the reservation fight the party would support him. He said that the BJP would support anyone who would take up the issue.
Sambhajiraje plans to meet CM Uddhav Thackeray and opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, and VBa leader Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday.