Senior NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Wednesday said he would move court against the state Government Resolution (GR) to speed up the process of issuing Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Maratha individuals, reported the PTI.
Bhujbal, a key representative of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, expressed his dissatisfaction with the GR, which was issued following activist Manoj Jarange’s hunger strike.
As a mark of protest, Bhujbal did not attend the cabinet meeting earlier in the day.
“OBC leaders have concerns about the GR… there are questions about who really gained from Manoj Jarange’s protest. We are seeking legal advice on whether the government has the authority to change a person’s caste,” Bhujbal told reporters, according to the PTI.
When asked whether he personally would move the court, Bhujbal confirmed he would, as per the PTI.
He also skipped a meeting of party members called by Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister and President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would speak to Bhujbal and clarify the matter.
“Once he knows the full details, Bhujbal will understand. The decision taken is within legal limits and does not harm any other community,” Shinde said, the news agency reported.
Activist Manoj Jarange has long been demanding that Marathas be recognised as Kunbis, a group that falls under the OBC category, making them eligible for reservations in government jobs and education.
Jarange ended his five-day fast on Tuesday after the state government agreed to issue a GR addressing his demands.
According to the GR issued by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, a proper verification process will be carried out based on historical records, particularly references from the Hyderabad gazetteer, to confirm who from the Maratha community qualifies for Kunbi caste certificates.
The Kunbis are traditionally a farming community already listed as OBC in Maharashtra. However, many existing OBC groups have opposed the inclusion of Marathas in their category, fearing dilution of their own reservation benefits.
Earlier, BJP MLC Parinay Fuke on Wednesday said the Devendra Fadnavis-led dispensation issued the GR on Maratha quota after taking all members of the cabinet into confidence, and claimed that no OBC leader was disappointed with it.
Nobody would move court against the government resolution (GR), he expressed confidence, saying legal experts maintained that the existing Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota would remain unaffected.
(with PTI inputs)
