Senior OBC leader and Maharashtra Cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal has urged OBCs on Monday to not suffer by “keeping quiet” and “spread terror (dahshat)” in order to get things done.
This call came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced an expansion of the Justice (retired) Sandeep Shinde committee’s scope to grant Kunbi (Other Backward Classes) certificates to Marathas across the state.
“We must speak up if we are facing anything. But if we are facing injustice or having some trouble and we decide to keep quiet, then we will not get a remedy for it. Therefore, now it is time to spread terror (evdhi dahshat majvaychi) and get things done,” said Bhujbal, the Food and Civil Supplies minister who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction.
Bhujbal made these remarks during his visit to the Jalna district in Marathwada en route to Beed, where he intended to meet with OBC Samata Parishad’s senior worker Subhash Raut, whose hotel was allegedly set on fire by Maratha protesters. He also planned to meet with MLAs Prakash Solanki and Sandeep Kshirsagar, whose houses were reportedly attacked by the mob.
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Bhujbal is known as a senior OBC leader in Maharashtra and has expressed his views against providing reservations to Marathas within the OBC quota. In a leaked telephonic conversation with one of the supporters, Bhujal said, “People are asking me to raise my voice. In every taluka of the state, these bulldozers are roaming about. The OBCs are unlikely to survive this. It is a do-or-die situation for us. We need to raise our voices. We are as it is being pushed around.”
On Monday, he justified his call for OBCs to raise their voices by pointing out that OBC activists and their properties have been targeted, saying,“There is an attack that is happening on the OBC reservation. Houses of MLAs are being torched, OBC activists’ hotels are being targeted. We need to speak about it. The way others have the right to rally their support base, similarly, I, too, have a right to rally all the OBC communities. We, too, should express our angst,” Bhujbal said.
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“Those who genuinely found their old Kunbi certificates from the Nizam era should be given this status. But now, the number is growing from 5,000 to 10,000 to 15,000 and now across the state. When the front door entry was blocked, it seemed to be an attempt to enter into the OBC quota through the back door. We are not opposed to the Maratha reservation. But give them separate reservations and not within the OBC quota,” he added.
Bhujbal stated that while he holds a position in the government, he is willing to speak out against the perceived “injustice” being committed against OBCs.
He also mentioned the diversity within the OBCs, comprising over 375 castes with more than 54% of the population. Bhujbal urged all OBC castes to stand united and speak with one voice to safeguard their future.
As a result of the fast unto death called by Maratha activist Jarange-patil demanding Kunbi (OBC) certificates to all Marathas, the state government announced the expansion of the scope of the Justice (retired) Sandeep Shinde committee from Marathwada region to the entire state. As per this, Marathas from across the state will get a Kunbi certificate in case of the production of evidence.
The OBC organisations have been opposing the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC quota, saying they should be given separate reservations.
“No one is against the reservation for Marathas. But it should be given without compromising OBC reservation. The Act giving reservation to Marathas was not upheld in the Supreme Court. Should we walk that path again? In that case, how should reservation be given to Marathas?” Bhujbal had said in September.
“The Bombay High Court had approved the Maratha reservation, which means it is possible to give reservation to Marathas. If the apex court did not uphold it, that means there are certain lacunae. Those should be studied and can be solved,” he had said then.