Kunbis & Marathas are not same: Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on quota protest

Mumbai: The large community of Other Backward Classes on Monday hardened its stance on the vexed reservation issue with state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Chhagan Bhujbal saying that Kunbis and Marathas are not same and the existing 27 per cent OBC quota cannot be touched under any circumstances.

“We have already launched protests...we will protest in front of tahsildar offices and district collectorates...we will create awareness…however, if the OBC quota is diluted, lakhs of people will come (to Mumbai) and protest...come what may, the OBC quota cannot be touched,” the veteran politician said.

“The existing quota of OBC (27 per cent), Scheduled Castes (13 per cent) and Scheduled Tribes (7 per cent) cannot be touched…and no one (including Marathas) can be included in this,” 77-year-old Bhujbal, a veteran OBC leader and founder-president of All India Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, told reporters on Monday.

“We have no problem if Marathas get reservation without changing the OBC quota,” the NCP minister said.

Earlier in the day, Bhujbal met Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar to discuss the Maratha-vs-OBC reservation issue.

Besides, he also met top OBC leaders, who had come from across the state in the wake of the agitation launched by Marathas under the leadership of Manoj Jarange Patil.

“There are rulings of the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court which make explicitly clear that Marathas and Kunbis are not the same. Marathas and Kunbis are not the same caste,” said Bhujbal.

According to him, after the protests by Marathas in Maharashtra, Patels in Gujarat, Gujjar in Rajasthan and Jats in Haryana demanded reservation. "The government came up with the Economic Weaker Section (EWS) quota."

“Others have stopped protests, however, Marathas continue to demand separate reservation,” he said, pointing out that of the 10 per cent EWS quota, 8 per cent beneficiaries are from the Maratha community.

Besides, the legislature has passed the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Act, which gives 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community.

“They still want reservation from the 27 per cent OBC quota which includes 374 groups. However, actually OBCs get 17 per cent, others include Nomadic Tribes, Vanjaris, Dhangars and so on,” he said.

When asked about Jarange-Patil saying that Kunbis are farmers and included in OBCs, he said: “There are Brahmins who are also farmers, then?”

Bhujbal said that Marathas may be economically backward or educationally backward, but they are not socially backward.

When pointed out that Jarange Patil is only targeting Fadnavis and not Shinde and Pawar, he said: “This you better ask him.”

However, when asked about Bhujbal's comments, Jarange Patil said: "Kunbis and Marathas are the same...we will take reservation under OBCs...we won't budge."