Bhujbal slams CM Shinde's decision on Maratha quota at OBCs’ expense

Mumbai, Jan 28 (PTI) Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who has questioned the "backdoor entry" of Marathas into the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, on Sunday said he was not satisfied with the state government's decision on the reservation issue.

Bhujbal also claimed that Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde, who heads a committee set up to find Kunbi records of Marathas, was getting almost double the salary drawn by the Chief Justice of India and called it an unnecessary expenditure.

Activist Manoj Jarange on Saturday called off his indefinite fast for Maratha quota after the Maharashtra government accepted his demands, with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing that till Marathas get reservation, they will be given all the benefits enjoyed by the OBCs.

A draft notification was issued by the government following negotiations with Jarange, stating that blood relatives of a Maratha person, who has records to show that he belongs to the agrarian Kunbi community, would also be recognised as Kunbi.

Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the OBC category, and Jarange, who is spearheading the agitation for reservation for the Marathas since last August, has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas.

Bhujbal on Saturday criticised the government's move over the quota issue and questioned the "backdoor entry" of Marathas into the OBC category.

Speaking to reporters in Nashik on Sunday, Bhujbal said, "The OBCs are having a feeling that they have lost their reservations as Marathas will take the benefits." The minister said he supports giving a separate reservation to Marathas, but not sharing the existing OBC quota with them.

"Because once they become a part of the existing reservations for OBCs, only they will get the benefits," he claimed.

"Whatever the chief minister is saying, does not satisfy our mind," said the minister who belongs to the NCP (Ajit Pawar group).

Bhujbal also expressed his disapproval over the continuation of the Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde committee set up to find Kunbi records of Marathas.

"As per my information, the Chief Justice of India gets Rs 2.80 lakh salary, whereas (Justice) Shinde and the committee get Rs 4.50 lakh each. Why so much of expenditure is going on?" he asked.

First, the committee's task was to find out Kunbi caste certificate links from the Nizam era, Bhujbal said, adding that whatever demand is made, the government is addressing it.

"Once the relatives of 54 lakh OBCs (with Kunbi caste records) get similar certificates, there will be no space for (the existing) OBCs in the reservations. A report of the (Justice) Gaikwad committee, appointed by the previous government headed by Devendra Fadnavis, was used by the Supreme Court to refuse reservation to Marathas," he said.

Now, a new committee has been appointed by the state to do the same (for facilitating reservation to Marathas), Bhujbal said.

Jarange recently claimed that as many as 54 lakh records have been found so far which show that as many members of the Maratha community belong to the agrarian Kunbi community.

"These persons and their descendants should be given the Kunbi caste certificates immediately," the activist said. PTI