Bhujbal urges OBC leaders to halt protests over Maratha Kunbi status, mulls legal options

Mumbai, Sep 4 (IANS) Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday urged OBC leaders and organisations to pause all forms of protest, including fasts and marches, following the state government’s move to grant Kunbi status to Marathas under the Hyderabad Gazetteer, while noting the need for calm during the ongoing Ganeshotsav festival.

Bhujbal, who had skipped the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday to show his displeasure with the government’s decision, said he has been holding a series of talks with OBC leaders and legal experts on the notification’s impact and is considering moving the High Court or the Supreme Court, if needed, to safeguard OBC interests in the state.

In his post on X, the veteran NCP leader said, “There is confusion regarding the government resolution (GR) recently issued by the Maharashtra government on Maratha reservation. Various backward-class organisations and leaders are submitting representations at tehsil offices, district collectorates and other places across the state, organising marches and expressing anger over the resolution in different ways. In many places, OBC activists and leaders have also begun fasts.”

Bhujbal, who is also the founder of Samata Parishad, said, “In connection with this Government Resolution, I have spoken with other OBC leaders. We have provided the relevant documents to legal experts and are seeking their opinions. After consulting them, we are prepared to approach the High Court or the Supreme Court if necessary. It is important to examine what changes have been made, which will require detailed discussions. We will also need to collect and organise many documents.”

Referring to the ongoing Ganeshotsav in the state and the Ganesh immersion scheduled for Saturday, Bhujbal said, “Many of our homes have Ganpati idols, and many activists and citizens are occupied with various programmes during this festival. There are also public holidays on Saturday and Sunday. Taking all this into account, we are looking at approaching the court by next Monday or Tuesday.”

In this backdrop, Bhujbal said, he has also spoken with OBC leaders, adding that many of them have already submitted representations to district collectors and tehsil offices, asking that the rights of OBCs not be harmed and presenting their concerns to the government.

He further said that those who have not yet done so should continue submitting representations.

“Calmly continue to present your case firmly before the government authorities. However, all other forms of protest, such as fasts, marches and tearing government resolution documents, should be stopped for now, and ongoing fasts should be discontinued. This is my request to all OBC activists and leaders in the state,” the minister said in his appeal.

He said an appropriate decision would be taken after conducting a detailed study of the GR. Bhujbal added that if lawyers and legal experts opined that the GR would harm the OBC community and thus legal action became necessary, they were prepared to approach the High Court or even the Supreme Court.

“After discussions with all the OBC leaders, I will soon announce the next course of action. Until then, I appeal to everyone to maintain peace,” Bhujbal said.

The Minister’s appeal is significant because several OBC leaders and organisations have alleged that the government, acting under pressure from pro-Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, issued the GR on implementing the Hyderabad Gazette to provide Kunbi certificates to Marathas. They contend this could reduce the reservation benefits currently available to OBC groups.

However, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, chairman of the cabinet sub-committee on the Maratha quota, clarified that OBCs need not worry, stating that the government resolution poses no threat to their reservation.

--IANS

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