‘No injustice with OBCs after Maratha quota’

 

 

 

MAHARASHTRA Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said OBCs will not face any injustice due to his Government’s move on Maratha quota following an agitation by activist Manoj Jarange. Jarange ended his 5-day stir at Azad Maidan here on Tuesday after the Maharashtra Government announced the formation of a committee to issue Kunbi caste certificates to Maratha community members with historical evidence of their Kunbi heritage, a social group classified as an Other Backward Class (OBC) in the State.

 

“There will be no injustice to the OBC due to the Government Resolution (GR) issued regarding implementation of Hyderabad gazetteer,” Fadnavis said. Fadnavis also said he has spoken to cabinet colleague and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who on Wednesday openly expressed his displeasure over the GR issued to speed up the grant of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas. “I told him the GR doesn’t impact OBC quota. Only eligible Marathas who have valid evidence of Kunbi lineage will be given caste certificates and not all Marathas,” the CM asserted. Bhujbal will be pacified and convinced that interests of OBCs will not be impacted, Fadnavis said.

 

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar hit out at the Opposition, saying some of its members tried to gain political advantage out of the recent Maratha reservation protest, but fell silent after the Government resolved the issue. Speaking at an event in Pune, he said the Mahayuti Government was focused on working for the welfare of people. Pawar said, “People voted us to power with a big majority and it is our constant endeavour to work for them by giving all the benefits. Sometimes issues do crop up, but we always strive to resolve them amicably.”