Shiv Sena asked to clarify its stand on Maratha reservation

The trigger is a cartoon in Saamna mocking silent rallies by Maratha community

The opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are mounting pressure on the Shiv Sena to clear its stance on providing quota to the Maratha community, which constitutes 32 per cent of the population in Maharashtra. A pro-Maratha social organisation, 'Sambhaji Brigade', has also cornered the Sena on the quota issue. The trigger is cartoon mocking the Maratha 'silent rally', carried in Sunday's edition of the Shiv Sena's mouthpiece, Saamna.

Congress and NCP blasted Shiv Sena, which is the ruling BJP's ally at the Centre and in the state, saying that party's real face has been exposed. The two parties have called upon the government to take immediate action and grant 16 per cent reservation to the Marathas without disturbing the quotas of other communities. 

Congress and NCP referred to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's demand for convening a special session of the state legislature to discuss the Maratha reservation issue and take future course of action. They claimed Uddhav had not clarified how reservation can be provided, so that it can stand the test of law.

Former chief minister Narayan Rane, who migrated to the Congress from Shiv Sena in 2005, said that the Sena never supported Maratha reservation. "Shiv Sena did not appear before a committee headed by me on Maratha reservation during the Congress-NCP government. The party also did not make any representation in support of reservation. Recently it was the Sena which refrained from signing a resolution moved by parties in the state legislature, demanding quota for the Marathas. Therefore, Sena is clearly opposed to it," he noted.

Rane said the committee had submitted its report recommending 16 per cent quota to Maratha community after holding a comprehensive survey of 1.8 million persons across the state. "The government should reveal the findings of the survey and immediately provide reservation," he said. 

Shiv Sena minister Subhash Desai however, blamed the Congress and the NCP for fuelling the ongoing pro-reservation agitation among the Marathas all over the state. 

"They ruled the state for 15 years, but did nothing for Maratha reservation. They just created a farce of the reservation, which was later struck down by the courts. Thackeray fully supported the ongoing Maratha agitation and even Sanjay Raut had backed it through his writings in Saamna. Shiv Sena is strongly in favour of quota to Maratha community,'' he noted.

Desai has disowned the cartoon clarifying that it did not party's official position on the issue.

However, the leader of opposition in the state assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe alleged, "The Shiv Sena has always been anti-Muslim and anti-Dalit; now they are even going against the Maratha community. All Marathas are extremely agitated by the cartoon," he said.

The leader of opposition in the state council Dhananjay Munde said Shiv Sena cannot remain a mere fence sitter. The party has now remained with little options but to unequivocally support Maratha reservation.