Mumbai: Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of being the real obstacle to Maratha Reservation.
"Uddhav Thackeray has no moral right to speak on the Maratha reservation issue," Shinde stated during a media interaction on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Thackeray had criticised both the state and central governments over the quota issue.
Uddhav not entitled to speak about Marathi pride: Shinde
"He is not entitled to speak about Marathi pride and Maratha reservation. We, and even the Maratha community, are aware of his true feelings about our community. When Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister, the Maratha community was granted reservation. It faced challenges in the High Court, and it was Devendraji and us who fought to preserve it, successfully," CM Shinde explained.
He further questioned, "When the matter reached the Supreme Court, who was the Chief Minister then? Who chaired the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation?" Holding Uddhav Thackeray responsible for inaction, he added that Thackeray has no moral authority to discuss this issue, as he is the real obstacle to Maratha reservation.
"The Maratha community knows who labeled their women's march as 'Muka (Kiss) Morcha' and insulted the women. The same individuals led to the loss of the Maratha reservation granted by the Devendra Fadnavis government. We are actively working to reinstate it, which is why we have filed a curative petition," Shinde emphasised.
He also mentioned that the committee has swiftly started gathering empirical data. "We are committed to granting reservation to the Maratha community and are working diligently toward that goal," Shinde said.
