Just a week after heaving a brief sigh of relief, the Maharashtra government finds itself staring at fresh political turbulence. A new flashpoint is emerging between Maratha activist Manoj Jarange and senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal, with the latter set to challenge the Government Resolution (GR) on Maratha reservation in court. On the other hand, Jarange has warned to move court, this time to question the legitimacy of the 1994 GR that forms the basis of OBC reservation.
Bhujbal, an NCP (Ajit Pawar) MLA who represents the Yeola seat, on Monday, confirmed he would move to court against the latest Maratha reservation GR. The veteran NCP leader claimed that either the OBC reservation had been tampered with or Marathas have received nothing, and only one of the two options has to be correct. “This week, we will study the GR, and my workers will accordingly move court,” Bhujbal stated.
Manoj Jarange, Maratha quota activist. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE
Last week, the Maharashtra government agreed to the demands of the Maratha quota activists and issued a GR. Jarange claimed that with the latest GR, all Marathas from Marathwada would get the caste certificates as the government agreed to give Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas in the Marathwada region, who can prove their lineage based on the old Hyderabad gazette.
Asked about Bhujbal moving court against the GR, in a veiled attack on Bhujbal, Jarange claimed that if the GR for Maratha reservation is challenged, he too will give a befitting reply in the same style, legal battle. “Even the 1994 GR of the then-Maharashtra government [on OBC reservation] will be challenged in the court,” Jarange warned.
Marathas make up about 28 per cent of the state’s 12-crore-plus population, while OBCs, spread across more than 375 castes, account for nearly 53 per cent. According to a 2024 state report, over 21 per cent of them live below the poverty line, compared to the state’s 17.4 per cent average. Earlier, till the 1990s, Marathas did not care much about reservations. But, after OBCs got 27 per cent quota through the Mandal Commission, they began to feel left out in jobs and education and later started demanding to consider the same reservation for them too.
‘Expedite issuance of caste certificates’
A week after the government accepted his demands, the work to issue caste certificates based on the Hyderabad gazette has not commenced. Reacting to the slow pace of work at the administration level, Manoj Jarange urged the government to expedite the process. “Start giving certificates by September 17. Or else during the Dussehra celebration rally, I will be forced to take tough action,” the Maratha quota activist warned the government.
Replying to the latest warning, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule claimed that one has to prove their lineage before getting a certificate. The senior BJP leader added, “Submitted documents need to be verified and scrutinised too. Certificates cannot be given in a hurry.” Last week, the senior BJP leader was appointed as head of the nine-member OBC sub-committee formed by the Maharashtra government.
