Mumbai: Amit Shah, Mohan Bhagwat meet amid Maratha quota stir
BJP President Amit Shah held a meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Mumbai in the backdrop of the ongoing agitation by the Maratha community seeking job reservation in Maharashtra. The duo held talks at Yashwant Bhavan, the RSS office, but what transpired between them was not known. Incidentally, an all-party meeting was convened yesterday by the BJP-led Maharashtra government over the quota issue.
Shah, Bhagwat discussed ways to strengthen BJP in Maha: Source
Meanwhile, a BJP source said Shah and Bhagwat discussed ways to strengthen the ruling party in Maharashtra, which will see both Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in 2019 but did not touch upon the quota issue. He said the meeting was scheduled long back and it had nothing to do with the ongoing stir by Marathas demanding 16% reservation in government jobs and education.
Shah-Bhagwat meeting decided months ago
"The meeting was decided months ago and it barely lasted for an hour. It was just a coincidence that it happened in the backdrop of an all-party meet called by the Chief Minister," the BJP source said.
Fadnavis-led govt receives flak over handling of Maratha agitation
The BJP government led by Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra has faced criticism over its handling of the state-wide Maratha agitation, which turned violent in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and parts of Marathwada this week. Earlier this week, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that there were "talks within the BJP" to replace Chief Minister Fadnavis, a claim denied by senior party ministers.
No discussions on replacing CM Fadnavis, says BJP source
There were no discussions on replacing Fadnavis, the BJP source said, adding the CM was "adequately capable" of handling the ongoing protests. Shah was on a day-long visit to Mumbai yesterday, during which he met Bhagwat, who was also in the city. Shah also attended a special preview screening of "Chalo Jeete Hain", (Come, let's live), a film based on PM Modi's early life.
