Marathas cannot be given reservation from OBC quota, says Bhujbal, demands caste census

Mumbai: Veteran OBC leader and Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal has reiterated that the Marathas cannot be given reservation from the quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community.

Talking to reporters on Monday, the state's food and civil supplies minister also renewed his demand for a caste census in the state.

Bhujbal's statement has come amid the stir by quota activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare, who have been on hunger strike for the last six days.

On Monday, a government delegation met Hake and Waghmare, urging them to end their fast, but they refused.

The agitators said they are not against the reservation for Marathas, but it should not disturb the OBC quota.

Bhujbal said, "The Maratha community cannot be given reservation from the OBC quota. We are not saying this, but the past four commissions (on reservation) have stated the same. Even the Supreme Court said no to it." Now there is again a demand for reservation from the OBC (quota), he said, referring to the protest by Maratha activist Manoj Jarange.

A caste-based census in the state will pave way for more funds to the OBC community, Bhujbal said.

The striking OBC activists have been demanding the scrapping of the draft notification of the state government that recognises Kunbis as “sage soyare” (blood relatives) of Maratha community members.

Bhujbal further said that he has shown the state assembly how the Kunbi records were being manipulated.