Sena (UBT) demands 20% reservation for 'Marathi Manoos' in Mumbai buildings

The Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmakers on Friday demanded that 20 per cent houses in buildings in Mumbai be reserved for native Marathi speakers.

Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve and Milind Narvekar gave a letter with this demand to minister Shambhuraj Desai, who belongs to the rival Shiv Sena.

"We demand 20 per cent of houses in buildings in Mumbai for Marathi Manoos," Nareveak said in a post on X.

On Thursday, Narvekar had asked in the legislative council whether a social organisation had demanded that 50 per cent housing units in the city be reserved for the Marathi people, and if the government had taken any decision on it.

In a written reply, deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is also the Housing Minister, said his department had not received any such letter.

Replying on behalf of Shinde, Mines Minister Shambhuraj Desai had said when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was in power during 2019-2022, it did not bring in any such law. "You did not do it, and this has come on record. Your love for Marathi Manoos is fake and hollow," Desai had said.