The Deputy CM said Thackeray should have also asked why the reservation granted to the Maratha community when Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister (2014–19) was struck down by the Supreme Court, despite having stood the legal test in the High Court
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. File Pic
Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Sunday said MNS president Raj Thackeray should have gathered all details concerning the Maratha quota before targeting him over the issue.
Speaking to reporters in Dare village, Satara district, during the ongoing Ganesh festival, Shinde said Thackeray should have also asked why the reservation granted to the Maratha community when Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister (2014–19) was struck down by the Supreme Court, despite having stood the legal test in the High Court, according to the news agency PTI.
“He (Thackeray) should have gathered all the information,” Shinde said, adding that his office expected him to return to Mumbai by Sunday night.
On Saturday, Thackeray had remarked that only Shinde could explain everything about the Maratha agitation and reservation issue.
“If you want to know why Manoj Jarange has returned, ask Eknath Shinde. Last time, when he went to Navi Mumbai as chief minister, he resolved the matter. Then why has it come up again? All these answers can only be given by Shinde,” Thackeray had said, according to PTI.
Responding to this, Shinde stressed that when he was CM, his government had granted 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category. His government also formed a panel to trace Kunbi references, which benefited the Maratha community, said the deputy CM, who also heads the Shiv Sena.
Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena Ministers Uday Samant and Dada Bhuse defended Shinde’s record on the Maratha issue, asserting that the community received the 10 per cent reservation during his tenure as chief minister. They also pointed out that vacant posts were filled under his leadership.
Meanwhile, Maratha quota movement leader Manoj Jarange has been on a hunger strike at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai since Friday, vowing not to leave until the Maratha community is granted reservation.
Citing the agrarian Kunbi community as the antecedents of Marathas, Jarange has been demanding quota benefits for Marathas under the OBC category.
Mumbai Police on Sunday permitted Jarange to continue his protest at Azad Maidan for another day. Patil, on a hunger strike for three days, is demanding a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas under the OBC category and has vowed not to drink water until his demands are met.
(With PTI inputs)
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