Maharashtra: Fadnavis, BJP workers detained during protest to demand OBC quota in local bodies

Mumbai Police on Saturday detained hundreds of protestors, along with BJP party workers who were gathered at their BJP unit office to start a 'morcha' in front of the Maharashtra Secretariat to demand political reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the local bodies.

The protestors had planned for a 'Chakkajam', but just before they could start their march toward the Secretariat, Mumbai police detained several protestors including ex Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan, Mumbai BJP President Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and MLC Rahul Narvekar.

All the detained protestors have been taken to the Marine Line Police station, police said.

Meanwhile, in Nagpur, police detained former Maharashtra CM and LoP Devendra Fadnavis during the protest over the OBC reservation.

Slamming the MVA government for their incapacity of protecting OBC reservations, MLA Kalidas Kolambakar said, "The MVA government has failed to protect the OBC's reservation. The issue can be solved through Centre Government's intervention, and our leader, Devendra Fadnavis can help with the same. The MVA leaders should come to him to take his help over the issue, but they would not come because they would rather delay it. It is a matter of credit taking for them."

"Today we are holding protests state-wide, at a 1000 places to pressurize the Government to expedite the process. Our demand is to restore the 27 per cent political reservation in all local body elections in the state," he added.

The BJP on Thursday announced that it will hold a statewide protest on Saturday against the MVA government who failed to protect the political reservation of OBC's.

Earlier this month, after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said the Centre is expected to take positive decisions on issues like Maratha, OBC reservation.

The Other Backward Classes (OBC) had lost their political reservations in the local bodies of Maharashtra comprising of municipal corporations, municipal councils, zilla parishads, gram panchayats etc.

This is after the Supreme Court rejected the state government's review petition concerning reservation to the OBCs.

The SC also observed that the reservation in the favour of the OBC in local bodies should not result in exceeding the 50 per cent cap in reservation quota.

( With inputs from ANI )

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