'Fearing threat to OBC quota', man jumps into river in Maharashtra

Mumbai: A 35-year-old man from Latur district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra died by suicide by jumping into the Manjara river, allegedly fearing threats to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota, deepening the crisis in Maharashtra over the compounding reservation issue.

Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent OBC leader, on Friday posted the incident on his social media platforms.

“The current developments regarding OBC reservation are making ordinary OBC individuals uneasy; this is the reality. But justice will surely be obtained through the Constitution and the law; we will have to fight for it. We are firm in that resolve. Therefore, I earnestly appeal to all OBC brethren in Maharashtra not to take such extreme steps, he said.

The deceased was identified as Bharat Mahadev Karad, a resident of Wangdari village in Renapur tehsil. Karad is survived by his mother, wife, three daughters and a son. The incident took place on Thursday.

Wasting no time, Bhujbal, a leader of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, accompanied by party colleague and Parli MLA and former Minister Dhananjay Munde, rushed to the village and consoled the family members and held the children close to him.

Karad, an autorickshaw driver, has been part of the protests to save the OBC reservation from dilution.

Bhujbal, who is the founder-president of the Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad, said injustice was being meted out because of the dilution of the OBC quota by way of the Government Resolution (GR) to implement the Hyderabad Gazette, which mentions Marathas as Kunbis, a sub-caste covered under the OBC reservation.

“We are there…we will continue to fight…we will fight democratically, but do not take such extreme steps,” said an emotional Bhujbal.

“We have been keeping quiet…more than 2 lakh Kunbi certificates have been issued,” he said.

Reacting to the development, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar appealed to people not to take such steps. “While we fight in the courts and on the streets regarding the OBC reservation, I humbly request everyone with folded hands not to take any extreme steps. We will surely get justice through the Constitution and the law; for that, let us fight and struggle together with unity,” the ex-minister and two-time former Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said.

Before jumping into the river, Karad raised slogans like “OBCs must get reservation” and “government anti-OBC”, according to reports.

“We have registered a case of accidental death in the matter. But investigation is on. Police have recovered a note from his pocket, which is being verified,” police officials said.