Chhagan Bhujbal takes on govt over Maratha reservation benefits

MUMBAI: The OBC versus Maratha community tussle over reservation is heating up with OBC leader and NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday taking his own government to task for bending backwards for the Maratha community on reservations.

"The Maratha community gets Rs 25,000 crore (under various state government schemes whereas the OBC community gets Rs 5,000 crore. Where is justice in this. For the Maratha community there are newer announcements (of govt schemes) almost every other day," said Bhujbal.

The NCP minister's comments came after he visited the family of a 35-year-old OBC youth in Marathwada's Latur who allegedly died by suicide on Thursday. In his suicide letter, Bhagwat Karad, the deceased youth, claimed that he was killing himself to protest the Maharashtra government's recent Government Resolution that allowed eligible Marathas to get Kunbi caste certificates. The alleged suicide itself indicates the rising tensions between the OBC and Maratha communities in Marathwada. Bhujbal consoled the family and later while addressing the crowd, said that the recent government move to issue the GR has meant that the OBC interests are at stake.


While Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has claimed that the new GR would not impact the OBC community and would help only eligible Marathas who are Kunbis. The NCP minister said that Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil had created an atmosphere of terror and had bullied the state government to issue the GR.

"We were silent when the state gave two lakh Kunbi caste certificates to them (Maratha). However, the current move (GR) would strike at the roots of the OBC movement. All OBC community will stick together and fight this. This is now a fight to preserve our reservation," said Bhujbal.