Speaking at a public rally, Thackeray said the recent demand made by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar that poor Muslims should be given houses was sheer communal politics.

He demanded that instead the state government should adopt a policy of allotting houses in government housing schemes to all categories of poor people.

Thackeray alleged that Pawar, by demanding reservation for Muslims, had tried to create communal divisions between the Hindu and Muslim communities.

“The police are living in a very pathetic state and have no houses to reside in,” said Thackeray.

“There is a huge waiting list of police, government employees and ex-army men for housing allotments, and Pawar has not given attention to them. If the reservations in state government housing schemes has to be implemented, then it is necessary to give top priority to the poorest,” Uddhav said.

“Pawar should stop the appeasement of the Muslims, and if the NCP president talks again and demands reservations for Muslims in the housing schemes then the Sena should organize agitations throughout the state and foil any attempts by Congress and the NCP-led government in the state to implement the reservation policy for Muslims.”