Parliament special session: Uddhav demands reservation for Marathas, OBCs

Addressing Shiv Sena (UBT) workers, Thackeray slammed "government brutality" of police baton charging the protestors seeking reservation for Marathas in Jalna

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

Addressing Shiv Sena (UBT) workers here, Thackeray slammed the “government brutality” of police baton charging the protestors seeking reservation for Marathas in Jalna on Friday evening.

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“How can police behave in a way without the directions from someone,”? he asked.
Thackeray said he would visit Jalna later in the evening to meet the protestors.

On Friday, police baton charged and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse protesters in Antarwali Sarathi on 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.

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). But I welcome it, but first give reservation to Marathas, Dhangars (shepherd community) and OBCs in this special session,” the former chief minister said.

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 festival.

Without taking names, he 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,” Thackeray added.

After the end of the third meeting of the INDIA bloc in Mumbai on Friday, Thackeray had said the opposition alliance will fight and defeat “mitra parivarvad”.