Maratha quota: state minister to protest Shinde govt's draft ordinance

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and senior OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday held a meeting at his official residence in Mumbai, which was attended by OBC legislators, leaders, and others, and said protests will be held outside the residences of MLAs, MPs and tehsildars on February 1 against the state government's decision regarding the Maratha quota.

"The meeting passed a resolution to cancel the draft published by the chief minister on January 26. The second demand is to discontinue justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde committee (looking into Kunbi records of Marathas) because it is an unconstitutional body," Bhujbal said.

He alleged that the governemnt took steps to fool OBCs. He asked when there is clear definition for relatives stated in the law, why illegal changes are made to it. Adding Marathas to OBC category will deprive the existing backward classes from reservation benefits.

Further, he stated that Sunil Shukre, who is appointed as the chairman of the Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes, is impartial and acting against the principles of the post he is holding. He visited Maratha protest leader Jarange. Also, Shukre is a member of another committee helping the state in the curative petition filed in the Supreme Court against its decision to scrap the Maratha quota, he said.

Finally, Bhujpal alleged that the state government is giving Marathas backdoor entry.

Minister Bhujpal belongs to an NCP faction led by Ajith Pawar. The faction had joined the Shinde government in July last year. Bhujpal has been continuously criticizing the government on the Maratha quota issue.