The Maratha reservation stir is intensifying in Maharashtra, with activist Manoj Jarange saying he would launch a fast-unto-death protest from October 25 if the government does not assure a quota on Tuesday. Even as the Shiv Sena-BJP government is receiving flak from other OBC communities, who do not want to cede the reservation space, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Maharashtra government was committed to granting reservation to the Maratha community. However, he added, that the quota has to ensure the “allocation stands legal and constitutional scrutiny”. “Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has stressed that the government wants to give the reservation to the Maratha community, which will pass legal and constitutional tests. If a decision to award reservation in education and government jobs is taken hurriedly, the court will strike it down and the state will face the criticism of cheating the community,” Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur. These statements come amid rising protests by Jarange and the Maratha community. Jarange has said political leaders, including MPs and MLAs, could not enter villages across the state until the reservation demand is met. Meanwhile, Maharashtra OBC Mahasangh president Babanrao Taywade said Monday the organisation has adopted the strategy of “wait and watch” while reiterating that there will be no change in its stand on Maratha reservation. “The OBC is firm on its decision not to allow Marathas inclusion in the OBC quota. At this moment we are happy with the state government as it has assured us that the OBC quota will not be diluted,” he said. Writing on the tightrope the BJP is walking on the issue, Shubhangi Khapre said that the OBCs are a big vote base for the BJP in Maharashtra like in other parts of the country. While the party does not have strong Maratha faces, the alliance with Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar-led NCP wing were both attempts to fill the gap, as the two are Maratha leaders. The party also undertook an OBC yatra earlier this month from the state's Vidarbha district, which is considered to have a high OBC population. Dussehra events Many political leaders, including Chief Ministers, will head to various events marking the festival on Tuesday. In Karnataka, CM Siddaramaiah will be in Mysuru to conduct a pooja at the 'Nandi Dhwaja' (Nandi Flag) from the Amba Vilas Palace premises. With Dasara being the state festival, there will be processions with a number of artists and cultural groups as well as tableaux from various districts that will depict regional culture and heritage. The procession will also showcase government departments and schemes. The show of strength of the Senas will continue in the form of Dussehra rallies this year. The Eknath Shinde-led Sena has finalised Azad Maidan grounds in Mumbai to hold the party’s rally this year, while Shiv Sena (UBT) will organise one in Shivaji park. Vallabh Ozarkar writes that the Dussehra rally has been one of the most important annual events for the Shiv Sena since its establishment in 1966, and according to traditions, the Shivaji Park ground or Shivtirth — as the party calls it — has been the venue all these years, with exceptions in 2020, when a virtual rally was organised due to the Covid-19. This year’s Dussehra rally is important for the Uddhav Sena since the party has lost its “Shiv Sena” name and “bow and arrow” poll symbol. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has recognised the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction as the “real” Shiv Sena and allotted it the party name and poll symbol. Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, who is on a two-day visit to Gujarat, is expected to attend public events in his Lok Sabha constituency of Gandhinagar. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav will head to Japan on Tuesday on an official tour where he is set to meet leaders in trade and tourism sectors. He said he wanted to “explore the possibility of collaborations that would benefit the state”. Watch out for: From the Urdu Press, our weekly column on what is making news in the Urdu dailies.
