Shiv Sena MPs Resign Over Maratha Reservation Issue
Mumbai: Two Shiv Sena MPs, known for their loyalty towards Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have tendered their resignations in support of the Maratha reservation demand. Hingoli MP Hemant Patil and Nashik MP Hemant Godse have both taken this decision as the protests for Maratha reservation have intensified across the state of Maharashtra.
Hingoli MP Hemant Patil has already submitted his resignation letter to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, while Hemant Godse has sent his resignation letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Both MPs are considered staunch loyalists of the Chief Minister.
Speaking about his resignation, Hemant Patil stated, “Since the Lok Sabha Speaker is not in the office, my resignation letter has been submitted to the office secretary. The resignation has been approved.” Just a few days ago, Hemant Patil was confronted by reservation protesters in Yavatmal, who demanded clarification on his stance regarding the reservation issue. In response, he immediately announced his resignation in favor of the reservation demand and handed his resignation letter to the protestors.
Similarly, in Nashik, MP Hemant Godse, who had been on a hunger strike, also tendered his resignation.
The background to this issue lies in the announcement made in 2018 to declare the Maratha community as Socially and Educationally Backward (SEBC), granting them 16 percent reservation in education and employment. However, the implementation of this decision has been pending for a considerable amount of time. As a result, the Maratha community in Maharashtra has been protesting for years, demanding their rightful reservation. Their protests have taken various forms, including peace marches and continuous fasting.
Last August, one of the Maratha community leaders, Manoj Jarange, initiated an indefinite hunger strike in Andharwali Charathi village in Jalna. The police’s use of force during protests on September 1 drew significant attention. In response to the intensified demand for Maratha reservation, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde personally met with Manoj Jarange and assured him that a favorable decision would be made. Consequently, Jarange called off his hunger strike on the 14th of last month, setting a deadline for their demand to be met by the 24th of this month. That deadline is now approaching rapidly.