Quota: Marathas hold sit-in protest outside NCP chief's

During the day-long shutdown for quota in Maharashtra, members of the Maratha community staged a sit-in protest today outside the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar in Baramati, around 100 kms from here.

The agitators were joined by former deputy chief minister and Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar.

A group of around 50 Maratha activists gathered outside the 'Govindbaug' residence of the former Union minister this afternoon and started raising pro-reservation slogans, a protester said.

He said Ajit Pawar soon joined the protesters, sat on the ground, and also raised slogans.

While Ajit Pawar is the MLA from Baramati Assembly seat, his cousin and Pawar senior's daughter Supriya Sule is MP from Baramati Lok Sabha seat.

Sharad Pawar was not present at his residence when the incident occurred.

Marathas, a politically influential community that constitutes around 30 per cent of the state's population, have been demanding 16 per cent reservation in government jobs and education.

"Ajit Pawar not only sat with us but also raised slogans in support of the quota for the community. He received a memorandum from us," said Sachin Satav, one of the members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) which had organised the agitation.

As part of the ongoing quota stir, the convenors of the Sakal MarathaKranti Morcha (SMKM) had announced that the members of the organisation would hold sit-in protests outside the residences of MLAs and MPs.