Shiv Sena (UBT) demands 50% housing quota for ‘Marathi manoos’

Mumbai: With the Maharashtra Assembly elections just a few months away, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has turned back to its ‘Marathi Manoos’ agenda. Senior party leader Anil Parab on Monday demanded 50 per cent reservation for Marathi people in new buildings to be constructed in Mumbai.

Parab, who is considered as Uddhav’s trusted aide, has moved a private member bill seeking to provide housing for Marathi people with 50 per cent reservation in new buildings in Mumbai. It will ensure the percentage of Marathi people in Mumbai will not reduce further, he said.

“The developers would be mandated to reserve the houses for the Marathi people. Failing to do so, the developer will be liable to imprisonment for six months or a fine of Rs 10 lakh or both,” the Sena leader stated in the bill.

Parab, a multiple-time MLC who is now contesting the June 26 Vidhan Parishad (Legislative Council) elections from the Mumbai Graduates constituency, has moved a private member’s bill to the State Legislature seeking 50 per cent reservation for Marathi people.

“The percentage of Marathi people in Mumbai is decreasing day by day. Marathi people are now being denied houses in Mumbai. To prevent this, there should be a 50 per cent reservation for them in new residential projects. Marathi speaking people should get affordable houses in Mumbai,” Parab said.

The MLC said there have been several instances of houses being denied to Marathi people under the pretext of food preferences or religion, due to which they are migrating from Mumbai. “There is a clear pattern of deliberate denial of houses to Marathi people by the developers. Any discrimination based on religion or food preferences is unconstitutional,” he said.

However, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has slammed Parab’s demand saying it has been made by keeping the forthcoming Vidhan Sabha polls in mind. “Were Anil Parab and his Shiv Sena (UBT) sleeping for so many days? They should have done it far earlier to provide justice to Marathi Manoos. But even after ruling Mumbai for 25 years, Shiv Sena failed to provide employment and business to Marathi people,” said Shinde-led Sena spokesperson Arun Sawant.