Uddhav seeks law for Maratha, OBC quota in special Parliament session

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded that the Centre provide reservations to Marathas and OBCs in the special session of Parliament convened later this month. This came a day after violence erupted in Maharashtra’s Jalna over the Maratha quota demand.

Thackeray visited Jalna on Saturday (September 2) evening and demanded the resignation of state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He reiterated that the Centre should bring in a law that would enable reservation for the Maratha community, and cases against the protestors should be dropped.

Uddhav slams “government brutality”

Earlier on Saturday, while addressing Shiv Sena (UBT) workers in Mumbai, Thackeray slammed the “government brutality” of police beating up the Jalna protesters with batons for seeking reservation for Marathas on Friday evening.

“How can police behave in a way without directions from someone?” he remarked.

On Friday, police attacked protesters with batons and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse them in Antarwali Sarathi on the Dhule-Solapur road in Jalna’s Ambad tehsil after they allegedly refused to let authorities shift a man on hunger strike for Maratha quota to hospital.

Around 40 policemen and several protesters were injured and many buses were set on fire during the violence.

“Anti-Hindu” Centre

Referring to the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2023, Thackeray said when the Supreme Court gave a ruling against the Centre, it passed a law in Parliament.

“I had condemned the government’s decision to convene a special session (of Parliament). I welcome it; but first give reservation to Marathas, Dhangars (shepherd community), and OBCs in this special session,” the former chief minister said in Mumbai.

He hit out at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, saying no one from the government had time to meet the agitators in Jalna.

Thackeray termed the Centre as “anti-Hindu” as it has convened the special sitting of Parliament from September 18 to 22 during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

“Entire Maharashtra will be in Jalna”

At Jalna, he demanded the resignation of Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio. “I have never seen a dispensation as cruel as the incumbent one,” Thackeray said, hitting out at the ruling dispensation comprising Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).

He said if protestors are touched, “entire Maharashtra will be in Jalna standing behind the agitators”.

During his Mumbai speech, Thackeray also said those who don’t believe in the family system should not talk about the families of others. “Family system is the Hindu tradition. First, handle your family and then talk about others’ families,” he said without taking names.

After the end of the third meeting of the INDIA bloc in Mumbai on Friday, Thackeray had said the Opposition alliance would fight and defeat “mitra parivarvad” (friend-family politics).