Republican Party of India (Athawale) to hold joint conference of Dalits and Marathas

Mumbai: The Republican Party of India (Athawale faction) today announced a joint conference of leaders from the Dalit and Maratha communities, where a resolution backing the demand of reservations for the latter would be passed.

Union Minister of State for Social Justice and the party chief Ramdas Athawale said the conference will be held at Shirdi in central Maharashtra on October 19.

"Lakhs of people from the Maratha community taking part in silent marches shows that they now realise that justice needs to be done to them. RPI (A) backs the Marathas who are seeking justice in a very disciplined way," Athawale told reporters here today.

"The joint conference which will include leaders and politicians from both Dalit and Maratha communities will pass a resolution on giving Marathas reservations based on financial status," he said.

The conference would play an important role in bringing about a harmony between the two communities, Athawale said.

The politically dominant Maratha community has been taking out silent marches all over the state to press its demands including reservations, scrapping of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and speedy trial in the Kopardi case where a Maratha girl was raped and murdered.