Shinde assures reservation to Marathas, bashes ‘power-hungry’ Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde vowed to ensure a quota for the Maratha community amid ongoing protests. He criticised Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray and appealed to the Maratha community not to resort to drastic measures.

In a royal fix because of the rapidly complicating reservation agitation by the Maratha community, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday vowed to ensure a quota for Marathas. For extra dramatic effect, he went across to the idol of Chhatrapati Shivaji on the stage, folded his hands and took an oath in the name of the Maratha warrior king.

Mumbai, India – Oct 24, 2023: Shivsena (Shinde faction) Dussehra rally led by Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde at Azad Maidan, in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, Oct 24, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

Addressing a parallel Shiv Sena Dussehra rally at Azad Maidan, Shinde resorted to bashing his bete noire, Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that the latter was dying to be chief minister since 2004 and had even requested NCP chief Sharad Pawar to put in a word for him when the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government was being formed.

Shinde’s dominant subjects in the packed-to-capacity rally were the ongoing agitation for Maratha reservation and Thackeray. “I am strongly in favour of reservation for Marathas,” he announced. “I am from a Maratha family and I know the problems and sorrows of the community. We have set up a committee under Justice Sandeep Shinde for Maratha reservation, which is working round the clock. The Supreme Court has admitted a curative petition on the issue. We will not deprive anyone of reservation. I swear in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that I will give reservation to Marathas.”

The CM also appealed to members of the Maratha community not to take drastic steps like ending their lives for the cause. Emphasising how Devendra Fadnavis as CM had got the reservation job done, he said the government’s decision survived a petition in the Bombay high court but not in the Supreme Court. He alleged that certain people were trying to stir up trouble in the state by pitting one community against another, and appealed to Marathas not to fall prey to them.

Without naming anyone, Shinde used the Dusshera rally to attack Uddhav Thackeray who was holding his Sena rally at the traditional Shivaji Park venue. “I too could have held my rally in Shivaji Park,” said Shinde. “But I am the CM and want to ensure peace.” The Shivaji Park venue has been a bone of contention between the two Senas after the split.

Accusing Thackeray of eyeing the chief ministership since 2004, Shinde alleged that the former had twice requested NCP chief Sharad Pawar to suggest his name during the formation of the MVA government. He also pointed out how in April, a Shiv Sena (UBT) worker, Sumant Ruikar, who was on his way to Tirupati to pray for Thackeray to become CM again, died on the journey. “No one (from the Sena UBT) bothered to help Ruikar’s family or even pay a condolence call,” he said. “It was I who helped the Ruikar family build a house.”

On Monday, the Thackeray faction had criticised the Shinde-led Sena for organising a dinner after the Azad Maidan rally for his party members, and asked Sainiks whether they were going for the biryani or Hindutva. Responding to this, Shinde remarked that he had Dena Bank (a pun on the Hindi word ‘dena’ meaning ‘to give’). “They (the Thackerays) have Lena Bank (the Hindi word for ‘to take’),” he said.

Shinde also told his followers how he was a multifaceted personality—equally at home hosting the G20 in Mumbai and supervising the cleaning of drains in the city. “I was at the World Economic Forum in Davos and also went to see the sanitation in the colonies of poor workers,” he said.

Meanwhile Manoj Jarange-Patil remained unimpressed with Shinde’s public performance. “I respect the chief minister,” he told media persons late on Tuesday. “If he has taken a vow to give us reservation, then he should fulfil it. However, I am not going to discuss anything with the government now. I will resume my hunger strike on Wednesday.”