Maharashtra minister Bhujbal opposes Maratha quota under OBC category

"Backdoor" attempts to grant the reservation to the Maratha community under the Other Backward Class category will be opposed, Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Chhagan Bhujbal said on Monday.

He also said violence and pressure tactics will not be tolerated and demanded an inquiry into the incidents of vandalism witnessed in different parts of Beed during the Maratha quota agitation recently, when some people set fire to the houses of a couple of legislators.

Notably, state agriculture minister Dhananjay Munde, who also belongs to the Ajit Pawar camp, also demanded a special investigation team probe into the violence in Beed district.

The state Home department is headed by senior BJP leader and deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Bhujbal stressed that he was not against granting the quota to Marathas in government jobs and education which can be given separately.

"Protesters are using force and intimidation to attain their objectives. The Marathwada region has witnessed a surge in arson and violence during the Maratha reservation protests," Bhujbal told reporters.

He said when Maratha leaders realised that they wouldn't get the reservation directly (outside the OBC quota), they attempted to obtain it through the back door (within the OBC category).

"We will not allow such tactics and will fight to protect our reservation," he added.

The Constitution provided reservations to uplift socially backward communities and it is not a poverty alleviation programme.

"The chief architect of the Constitution, B R Ambedkar, has provided the reservations based on social backwardness and not on the economic criteria," the minister said.

He appealed to members of the Other Backward Classes to unite for the protection of their reservation rights and stressed the need for unity.

The Maharashtra government has expanded the scope of the Justice Sandip Shinde (retd) Committee formed to study the feasibility of giving Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community members in view of the protests spearheaded by activist Manoj Jarange, who recently withdrew his indefinite fast on the assurance of the state government.

Among the demands of Jarange is that Marathas be given Kunbi certificates so that they can get the reservation under the Other Backward Classes segment.

Speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Bhujbal demanded an inquiry into violence incidents in Beed and Majalgaon during the Maratha quota stir in the Marathwada region.

He also alleged that the allocation of Kunbi caste certificates (to Marathas possessing requisite documents) across the state is illegal which will finish off the OBC reservation.

Bhujbal visited the houses of NCP MLAs Prakash Solanke and Sandip Kshirsagar in Beed district which were targeted in the violence.

"A hotel in Beed was vandalised for an hour in front of two policemen who were helpless to stop the vandals. The residence of senior leader Jaydatta Kshirsagar was torched even though he had not said anything on the Maratha quota issue," he said.

Bhujbal claimed that police personnel might have chosen not to act during the Beed violence because the offences registered in connection with the lathi-charge at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district had been withdrawn.

He also criticised a former HC justice who held talks with Maratha quota activist Jarange and convinced him to withdraw his fast along with a government delegation last week.

"If members of the commission start visiting the venue of the agitation what justice OBCs can expect?" he asked.

He said the violence in Beed city and Majalgaon village didn't occur at the spur of the moment.

"Separate mobs were involved. As many as 700-800 people were involved. An inquiry should be ordered to understand why police became so helpless despite having weapons and didn't try to stop the agitators," Bhujbal said.

Speaking on granting the quota to Maraths, Bhujbal expressed surprise that the number of cases with the Kunbi antecedents is rising steadily.

"Now shops are being opened in every district and (Kunbi caste) certificates are being given. This is illegal. Neither OBCs nor Marathas will benefit from this measure. If such certificates are given across the state, what is the use of the (Justice Shinde) committee?," he asked.

Bhujbal said vote bank politics has been played on the quota issue.

"Marathas are being asked to not vote for me. Don't they (leaders making such an appeal) want OBC votes? If that is the case, OBCs can also think on similar lines," said Bhujbal, an MLA from Nashik district in north Maharashtra.

The NCP leader also demanded compensation for those whose properties were vandalised in Beed.

"Jarange says those involved in the violence and arson in Beed were not Maratha activists. If that is true, why does he demand the revocation of offences?" he asked.