The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction has launched a campaign against the state government, demanding the reservation of 20 percent of homes for Marathi-speaking citizens in Mumbai. On Friday, Opposition Leader in the Legislative Council Ambadas Danve and party leader Milind Narvekar submitted a letter in this regard to Shambhuraj Desai, the state's Mining Minister and a leader of the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction).
The Uddhav faction claims that the "Marathi manus" (Marathi people) are not receiving their due rights and are being neglected in the government's policies. They have demanded that the government formulate a clear policy to reserve 20% of houses in Mumbai buildings for the Marathi-speaking community. The opposition has also accused the government of adopting a double standard on this issue.
Milind Narvekar Raises the Issue on Social Media
The party has raised this demand not only in the legislature but also on social media. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Milind Narvekar shared the letter on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "We demand that 20 percent of homes in every building in Mumbai be reserved for the Marathi manus."
According to a PTI report, Narvekar had raised this issue in the Legislative Council on July 10 as well. He questioned the government whether any social organization had demanded the reservation of 50% homes for the Marathi community, and if so, what action the government had taken on it. In response, Deputy Chief Minister and Housing Minister Eknath Shinde clarified that his department had not yet received any letter on this subject.
Shambhuraj Desai's Counterattack
State Mining Minister Shambhuraj Desai has bly reacted to this demand. He criticized the Uddhav Thackeray faction, saying, "Why was reservation not brought for the Marathi manus when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was in power from 2019 to 2022?" Desai sarcastically remarked, "You didn't take this step at that time, and this fact is now on record. Your sympathy for the Marathi manus is fake and hollow."
Following his statement, the political debate regarding Marathi identity and the rights of local people has intensified. This issue is now becoming a topic of discussion not only on political platforms but also among the public.
