Maratha reservation: OBC leaders protest, Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal beneath fireplace | 5 issues to know
Now, in a transfer to oppose any transfer to induct Kunbi-Marathas into the OBC fold, an ‘OBC Bhatke Vimukt Jaat Aarakshan Bachao Yalgaar Sabha’ (rally for saving the reservation of OBCs and Nomadic Tribes) was held at Ambad within the Jalna district of Maharashtra on Friday, November 17.
Top leaders from totally different political events had joined the rally in a uncommon viewof solidarity. Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Chhagan Bhujbal and a number of other different distinguished OBC leaders together with Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar, Rajesh Rathod, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLC Gopichand Padalkar, Prakash Shendge and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) chief Mahadev Jankar had participated within the protest, information company PTI reported.
In view of the protest by the OBC communities, the Maharashtra authorities is unlikely to go for Maratha reservation within the OBC category based on Kunbi certificates throughout the state, the Indian Express reported on Monday.
Now, because the demonstration over the Maratha reservation gained momentum in Maharashtra, here is a recap of all that occurred within the state in reference to the row lately:
OBC leaders protest and their demand
Speaking on the rally, Bhujbal reiterated that the prevailing reservation for the OBCs shouldn’t be curtailed whereas giving reservation to the Marathas. “We do not oppose Maratha reservation, but there should be no encroachment on the OBC quota,” he mentioned.
Bhujbal additionally questioned how immediately information displaying Maratha families as belonging to the Kunbi caste, an OBC group, had been being found. “Initially 5,000 records were found in Marathwada which was part of the Nizam’s Hyderabad state (before 1948). Later the number went up to 13,500….Even when there were elections in Telangana, the number went up,” he added.
Bhujbal additional demanded an “immediate” caste census.
Bhujbal’s assertion making a rift?
Although a number of OBC leaders from different political parties joined the protest rally, a press release by Chhagan Bhujbal’s did not go down effectively with a few of them.
According to an Indian Express report, Chhagan Bhujbal challenged the Marathas and requested these belonging to the OBC class to “reply to them in the same coin”. He was quoted as saying, “I have been getting messages that our banners are being torn. Are your hands tied? We will have to reply with the same coin.”
He was quoted as saying that granting reservations to the Marathas within the state would result in a face-off between the Marathas on one aspect and OBCs, SCs, STs and Muslims on the opposite aspect.
Bhujbal additionally criticised Maratha activist Manoj Jarange’s appeal to people not to permit political leaders to enter their villages until the Marathas acquired reservation.
“There is democracy in the state. Do these people own the state? I appeal to the chief minister and deputy chief minister (Devendra Fadnavis who holds the home portfolio) that the boards saying no entry for leaders should be removed. Is there law and order or not?” he was quoted by PTI as saying.
Bhujbal, who was lauded by many for main the protest rally, was additionally criticised by many for “fuelling tensions between the Marathas and OBCs”.
Vijay Wadettiwar, a Congress chief and Maharashtra Leader of the Opposition (LoP), mentioned on Sunday there shouldn’t be any struggle or rift between the OBC and the Maratha communities. Wadettiwar was amongst different OBC leaders shared the stage with Bhujbal through the rally.
ALSO READ: Protests over Maratha reservation shut down 46 Maharashtra bus depots, causing loss of over ₹13 cr
Wadettiwar reportedly mentioned he doesn’t assist extremism. “No community should take an extremist side…” he was quoted as saying. Distancing himself from Bhujbal’s assertion, he was quoted by the Hindu as saying, “We are of the opinion that OBCs should get right and that rights ought to be safeguarded.”
“At the same time, we do not any schims between the two communities. He (Jarange) has the right to express demands for the Maratha community,” Wadettiwar mentioned.
Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a member of the erstwhile royal household of Kolhapur, additionally reacted sharply to Bhujbal’s statements.
Chhatrapati accused Bhujbal of trying to fuel tensions between the Marathas and OBCs. “Bhujbal should be sacked as a minister as he was taking a different stand from the state government,” the previous Rajya Sabha member mentioned. “The OBCs are not antagonistic towards the Maratha community and Bhujbal was trying to incite the two sides for his political interests,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, who additionally belongs to the OBC class, mentioned the central and state governments will not be keen to deal with these points associated to reservations in authorities jobs and training.
Maharashtra govt’s stance on Maratha row
Maratha activist Jarange had launched a hunger strike last month to press the demand of reservation for the group. He demanded issuing Kunbi certificates to the entire Maratha community for reservations beneath the OBC class. he had earlier mentioned the Maratha group would assist the quota-related calls for of Banjara and Dhangar communities.
Banjaras wish to be within the Scheduled Tribes class. The Dhangar community too is demanding reservation (in ST class).
Following this, the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government determined to provide Kunbi caste certificates to these Marathas who may produce information of the erstwhile Hyderabad state the place their ancestors had been described as belonging to Kunbi group in order that they’ll avail of OBC quota.
Bhujbal’s jibe at personal govt
Blaming the highest management of his personal authorities for taking the “anti-OBC choice”, Bhujbal had said earlier that “backdoor” attempts to grant the reservation to the Maratha community under the OBC category will be opposed.
He had sarcastically asked how so many ancestral records had become available all of a sudden (showing Maratha families as belonging to the Kunbi cast). “They are giving Marathas a backdoor entry to the OBC quota,” he was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying on November 6.
He had mentioned when Maratha leaders realised that they would not get the reservation immediately (outdoors the OBC quota), they tried to acquire it by the again door (inside the OBC class).
He alleged that “paperwork are being cast to point out Kunbi origin”. “This should stop. You say the OBC quota won’t be touched. How? Once he gets a Kunbi certificate, he becomes an OBC,” he was quoted by the Print as saying.
OBCs’ opposition a fear for BJP?
Bhujbal reportedly warned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of the wrath of the OBC group. The BJP has loved the assist of OBCs in numerous components of the state.
“It is said that 60 per cent of OBCs vote for the BJP, but if tomorrow, the voters see that their reservation is going to be impacted then what will they do?” the NCP chief was quoted by the Times of India as saying.
Notably, the coalition of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and and Ajit Pawar-led NCP are in presently in energy in Maharashtra. Bhujbal is the chief from Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP.
‘OBC persons are with us’: Maratha activist
Activist Manoj Jarange said earlier this month, “The common OBC people are also with us, no matter what their (OBC) leaders say.”
He mentioned the state authorities has not but given a written time-bound programme to Jarange over decision of the quota situation. “If they don’t give it, we also don’t need it. If they befool the Maratha community, we have the weapon of peace. Don’t let us take that out,” he added.
Earlier in November, Jarange had expressed satisfaction with the state authorities’s work of issuing certificates of the Kunbi caste to Marathas, based on a PTI report.
“Kunbi certificates are being distributed. But the government should pace up the process of giving the certificates. As the deadline of December 24 draws near, Marathas should remain united and alert,” the activist was quoted as saying.
Jarange had additionally alleged that OBC leaders had been concentrating on Marathas by getting false offences registered towards them and mentioned Maratha leaders ought to stand with the youth of the group.
Chhagan Bhujbal floating his personal get together?
The rally led by OBC chief on November 17 reignited the excitement that Bhujbal may launch a political get together of is personal, the Times of India reported.
According to the India Express, former minister and Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP) chief Mahadev Jankar referred to as for all OBCs to come back collectively and float a celebration of their very own, as a substitute of relying on leaders of different events.
In 2021, the Supreme Court had struck down reservation granted to Marathas by the sooner BJP-Shiv Sena authorities. The court docket had deemed it unconstitutional because it breached the 50 per cent ceiling for reservations.
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Updated: 20 Nov 2023, 10:59 PM IST