Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress president Harshavardhan Sapkal on Thursday targeted the state government over its decision to recognize provisions of the Hyderabad Gazette for granting reservation to the Maratha community. He questioned whether Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would follow the example of Telangana, which after conducting a caste-based census granted 42% reservation to the OBC community.
“The government has issued a resolution implementing the Hyderabad Gazette to facilitate Maratha reservation. If the Gazette is being accepted, then why not adopt Telangana’s model of caste census and proportional reservation? Is Fadnavis ready to go that far?” Sapkal asked.
Criticizing the government’s approach, the Congress leader said the ruling Mahayuti was creating rifts between Marathas and OBCs in the name of reservation. “There is already confusion and conflict between the two communities. The government claims that Marathas will be accommodated under OBC without affecting OBC reservation. How can both be true at the same time? Either one is correct — the government must clarify its stand,” Sapkal said, alleging that such ambiguity was deepening distrust.
He also accused the BJP-led government of making hollow promises. “How much trust can people place in the words of Fadnavis? Many of his previous announcements turned out to be mere rhetoric. Today, they say OBC quota is safe, but also claim Marathas will get reservation from the same pool. This double-speak is misleading society,” Sapkal remarked.
Reiterating Congress’s stand, Sapkal said his party has always supported reservation for the Maratha community but insisted that caste-based census is the only permanent solution. “Reservation can only be allocated fairly through caste census. The BJP government, however, seems unwilling to implement it. Announcements alone are not enough; execution is essential. Without it, conflicts over reservation will continue,” he said.
Sapkal further alleged that the BJP-led alliance government’s policies were aimed at dividing communities rather than resolving their issues. “What we see in Maharashtra today is proof of that,” he added.
