OBC groups protest in Nagpur, oppose Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas

Hundreds of members from Other Backward Class OBC communities held a protest rally in Maharashtras Nagpur on Friday opposing Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas reported the PTIThe protesters demanded that the Maharashtra government immediately cancel the September 2 government resolution GR that allows eligible Marathas to obtain Kunbi caste certificates enabling them to claim OBC reservation benefitsA protest rally was also organised in Nagpur under the banner of lsquoSakal OBC Maha Morcharsquo saw largescale participation from across the state Protesters marched from Yeshwant Stadium to Samvidhan Square shouting slogans and holding placards defending their constitutional right to reservationLeaders including Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar and prominent OBC activists Laxman Hake and Mahadev Jankar joined the rally which spanned nearly 3 kilometres through the heart of the cityThe protesters raised slogans such as ldquoThe Mahayuti government cannot take away our constitutional quota rightsrdquo and ldquoEk Mission OBC ArakshanrdquoThe GR issued in response to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarangersquos fiveday protest at Azad Maidan in Mumbai allows members of the Maratha community to apply for Kunbi caste certificates mdash if they can prove OBC ancestry Since Kunbis are recognised as an OBC group in Maharashtra this would grant such Marathas access to reserved quotas in government jobs and educationWhile Maratha leaders insist that many Marathas are originally from the Kunbi agrarian community OBC organisations fear this will reduce their existing share in reservationsSakal OBC Sanghatana the umbrella body behind the protest warned the state government of intensified protests if the GR is not withdrawnEarlier this monthCM Devendra Fadnavis had chaired a meeting with Other Backward Classes OBC leaders in Mumbai A delegation demanded immediate withdrawal of the GROBC strongman Chhagan Bhujbal NCP as well as BJP ministers Chandrashekar Bawankule Pankaja Munde and Atul Save were joined by nearly 35 other representatives of the community in the meeting The delegation members also alleged that forged and overwritten documents were being used to obtain certificates The state has warned of stern legal action and punishment against officials found issuing false caste certificates or applicants using forged documents to obtain the caste certificateAfter the meeting OBC subcommittee chairman and Maharashtra revenue minister Bawankule said ldquoThe OBC subcommittee will verify such cases and documents before the government takes a callrdquoReacting to the development Maratha activist Manoj Jarange said that one cannot withdraw the GR in such a manner merely because a section of community members are pressurising the government to do soSenior BJP leader Bawankule had claimed that GR does not ensure ldquosarsakhatrdquo across the board certificates for Maratha communityldquoWe will ensure that GR is not misused to obtain a caste certificaterdquo the minister had saidwith PTI inputs