Devendra Fadnavis detained during OBC reservation protests

Mumbai, June 26: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has been detained during a protest held by BJP workers in support of Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation.

The Maharashtra unit of the BJP held ''chakka jam'' protest across the state to press for its demand of restoring reservation for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local governing bodies.

The BJP-Shiv Sena government in 2019 had allotted political reservation to OBCs in local governing bodies, but in March this year, the Supreme Court had read it down.

The BJP has alleged that the case was lost only because of the inaction of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, in which NCP and Congress are partners.

The State Election Commission has announced bypolls at Dhule, Nandurbar, Washim, Akola and Nagpur districts, and there are 85 seats of Zilla Parishad and 144 panchayat samiti seats for which elections is going to be held.

The BJP on Friday demanded that the state government approach the Supreme Court immediately requesting a postponement of the ZP bypolls in five districts.

The Supreme Court had in its March 4 order said that reservation in favour of OBCs in concerned local bodies in Maharashtra cannot exceed aggregate 50 per cent of the total seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and OBCs taken together.

The apex court, while reading down section 12(2)(c) of the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act 1961, which provided 27 per cent reservation for persons belonging to backward class, also quashed the notifications issued by the state election commission in 2018 and 2020 providing reservation exceeding 50 per cent in local bodies of some districts.