MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis moved to calm the unrest among OBCs on Thursday, clarifying that the government resolution allowing the use of the Hyderabad gazette will not grant blanket Kunbi certificates to Marathas for availing OBC benefits.
CM Devendra Fadnavis said that he has spoken with OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal and assured him that the state government GR on Maratha reservation will not disturb the OBC reservations at all. He said that in fact, several OBC organisations welcomed the state government's decision.
“In Maharashtra, to get the old records, mostly before the 1960s revenue and education records, the British era documents are referred and these documents are also available, but the Marathawada region was ruled by the Nizam; therefore, there is as such British era documents to establish the Maratha as Kunbi. But Hyderabad Gazette and its available records will surely help the Maratha of Marathwada to get a Kunbi certificate if it exists. There is no order or GR for issuing Kunbi to all Marathas. The Kunbi and OBC certificates will be issued only based on submitted authentic documents and records. So there is no question of injustice over existing castes in OBC,” explained CM Fadnavis.
He further added that the state government will not carry out any such exercise of harming OBC and extending that benefit to Marathas. “We will protect both OBC and Maratha interests,"
Sources said that the BJP cannot afford to hurt the OBC and lose their support. “It is a very tight-rope exercise for the incumbent government. The perception has been created that the state government GR has not given the blanket authority to Marathas to enter into the OBC by obtaining a Kunbi certificate. But state GR has surely opened the back door through Hyderabad Gazette and one clan formula. That Maratha community with the muscle and money power will misuse and get the blanket Kunbi certificates and enter in OBC. Therefore, this move by the state government has harmed the interests of the loyal BJP vote-banks even though the state government may deny it. But the process of the Maratha entering into OBC has started,” said a senior BJP leader who requested anonymity.
Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange Patil said that they are determined to put every Maratha into the OBC by obtaining a Kunbi certificate. He said if the state government refuses to do that, again, they will come out on the streets and protest against the state government.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Milind Deora wrote to CM Devendra Fadnavis asking to prepare the standard operating procedure for the protestors who sit at Azad Maidan because these frequent protests in the business district – South Mumbai disturb the business activities and cause huge losses in the financial capital of India.
