By Dominick Rodrigues

Kolhapur (Maharashtra), June 26: There is a time for protesting and a time for discussions in any agitation and the one — who finds the right path between these two in seeking the solution — is a true people’s leader, according to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray stated this while inaugurating online the first centre of the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research Training and Humanities Organisation (Sarathi) in Kolhapur district to coincide with the birth anniversary celebrations of Rajashri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj.

 Shrimanth Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj presided over the function, which witnessed the presence of member of parliament (MP) Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati, state rural development minister Hasan Mushrif, Kolhapur guardian minister Satej Patil, managing director of the state planning commission Rajesh Kshirsagar, MP Sanjay Mandlik, and members of the state legislative assembly Chandrakant Jadhav and Kshituraj Patil.

 The Maharashtra Chief Minister also thanked MP Sambhajiraje for his +mature and sensitive+ handling of the Maratha Community reservations issue over the last few days, which witnessed the subject assuming political centre stage.

 Highlighting the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s emphasis on empowering the weaker sections of society, Thackeray said his government is “committed to ensuring justice to the Maratha community by pursuing every possible recourse in the regard, even though the legal battle over the issue is far from over.”

 Meanwhile, MP Sambhajiraje thanked the state government for setting up the first Sarathi sub-centre in Maharashtra in Kolhapur district and urged for allocation of atleast five acres of land extra for the sub-centre.

 Earlier, while presiding over the function, Srimant Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj said that society would get progressive guidance from the Sarathi service. He also expressed the hope that the state government would resolve other issues of society in the same manner and provide justice to them.

 Maharashtra public works department minister Ashok Chavan said that the MVA Government has resolved to ensure justice for the Maratha community and is also sensitive to demands of other segments of society. Rural development minister Hasan Mushrif said the state government supported reservations for the Maratha community.

 Kolhapur guardian minister Satej Patil said the state government would provide justice to the community as per its stated resolve over reservations, and that the newly-inaugurated Sarathi sub-centre would be fully functional by June 28.

The Sarathi sub-centre, which has been added in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) training centre’s +earn while your learn+ programme located in the Rajaram University, will facilitate the work of students, researchers and academics through its machinery