Mumbai: Other Backward Classes activist Laxman Hake has asserted that the Maharashtra government has no right to accept the demand for providing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas and warned that members of the OBC would launch street protests against the move.
Activist Demands Political Clarity on OBC Quota
Hake, a staunch opponent of extending OBC reservation benefits to Marathas, demanded that political leaders clarify whether they were willing to dilute the existing OBC quota. He had previously staged agitations opposing Manoj Jarange-Patil’s demand to include Marathas in the OBC category.
GR Allowing Kunbi Certificates Faces Opposition
Reacting to the government resolution (GR) allowing Kunbi certificates for eligible Marathas with supporting lineage documents, Hake reiterated that the state had no legal right to issue such an order on reservations.
Gazetteer Records Do Not Support Maratha Reservation Claim
The gazetteer doesn't say Marathas are socially backward and should be provided reservation, he further claimed. “Who says that revenue records in the gazetteer make them eligible for reservations?” the activist asked.
Hake Warns OBCs, VJNTs May Protest
“The Hyderabad gazetteer says Banjara is a Scheduled Tribe. Will the government give ST reservation to Banjaras? The government shouldn't create 10 other issues to resolve one. OBCs and VJNTs (Vimukt Jati and Nomadic Tribes) will take to the streets,” Hake said.
Political Leaders Urged to Clarify Position
Political leaders should explain if they are open to intrusion in the OBC quota, he said.
Activist Patil Calls GR ‘Completely Useless’
Activist Vinod Patil, who has filed petitions in courts concerning the Maratha quota, on Wednesday called the GR “completely useless”. The GR will not benefit the community in any meaningful way, claimed Patil.
“The truth is, not a single certificate will come out of this GR. I can say with certainty that those without documentary proof of Kunbi lineage will never gain anything. That is why I am calling this decision a big disappointment,” Patil told reporters in Chattrapati Sambhajinagar.
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Demand for BJP Minister to Explain GR
He demanded that senior BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, should have held a press conference to explain the intent of the GR and take responsibility for the government's promises.
(With PTI inputs)
