Maharashtra government's reachout to Jarange Patil sparks Maratha-OBC clash

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government's move to buy peace with Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil is leading to a OBC versus Maratha war, with political leaders across party lines, taking sides on the issue. In a rare show of solidarity, OBC leaders across political parties, have opposed the state government's move to issue a government resolution (GR) on giving Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas as this would harm the OBC community's interests. Infact, Nationalist Congress Party minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal has decided to move the Bombay High Court against this.

On Monday, several OBC leaders, led by Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress, met in Mumbai to formulate a strategy against the state government's move. "Our meeting cuts across party lines. Let the chief minister say what he wants to. The OBC community will be damaged with this GR," Wadettiwar said, referring to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's comments that the GR on Maratha quota would not impact the OBC community.

Fadnavis had tried to convince Bhujbal on the issue. But sources said that the latter has decided to approach the Bombay HC in the next two days against the GR. Maratha outfits have already filed a caveat before both the HC and Supreme Court requesting that they be heard before any order is issued.


Wadettiwar said they support Bhujbal. "The OBC community will be damaged, we are not opposed to those Marathas having Kunbi certificates to come under the OBC category. However, this move by the government would lead to all the Marathas coming into the OBC category," said Wadettiwar.

Meanwhile, Jarange Patil has warned that "If they (OBCs) challenge this GR, we will also file a petition challenging the GR issued by the state government in 1994 based on which several OBCs got reservation."

While the Maharashtra government has been claiming that the OBC interests would not be hurt, Jarange Patil's statements have fuelled the suspicion and anger among the OBCs as Patil has claimed that the GR was just a start and that he would soon get all the Marathas from the state into the OBC category.