Shinde panel finds 58 lakh Kunbi records, may help up to 2 crore Marathas get OBC quota benefits
Pune: The Maratha-OBC politics is flaring up again in the state after the
Shinde Committee
submitted its fourth report to state govt stating that over 58 lakh Kunbi records had been found.
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These would enable up to two crore Marathas obtain
Kunbi certificates
to avail
OBC quota benefits
, a panel member said.
OBC leaders and activists strongly objected to the report. OBC activist Laxman Hake said the state should not accept it, while senior NCP member Chhagan Bhujbal said the court would decide on the issue.
The committee's report, submitted to state govt last week, stated that it had found 58,82,000 Kunbi records.
Based on these, a total of 8,25,851 Kunbi certificates had been issued. "Going by the applicant's details, up to two crore Marathas are expected to be eligible for reservation under the OBC category with these certificates," the committee member said.
OBC leaders opposed the Shinde Committee's fourth report, like its previous three. Former cabinet minister Bhujbal said some people had approached the court, challenging the issuance of certificates.
The court would decide on the issue, the NCP MLA said.
OBC activist Hake took a firmer stand on the report and demanded that state govt should not accept it. He said, "If two crore Marathas are included in the OBC category, it will have an adverse impact within the OBC community. The inclusion of such a large number of people in the category will destroy the entire reservation for the OBC community in the long run. Therefore, we demand that state govt should not accept the report.
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Otherwise, we will have to start a statewide agitation."
On the other hand, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange welcomed the report and criticised Bhujbal for opposing it. He said, "Bhujbal has always tried to create hurdles for the Maratha community in getting reservation, but he will never be successful. We are happy that some of our demands have been accepted by govt, but still some demands have not been accepted. I will be holding a rally on April 30 to decide the future course of action on the issue."
The Mahayuti govt had constituted the Shinde Committee in its earlier tenure, when Eknath Shinde was the chief minister. It became a focal point in state politics, with Maratha activist Jarange holding multiple rallies across the state to demand the inclusion of the Maratha community in the existing OBC category.
In response to his demand, the committee searched several documents to find Kunbi records. When govt began issuing Kunbi certificates after the committee started finding the records, OBC leaders and activists opposed the move.
Last year, state govt had issued a notification to recognise Maratha community members as Kunbi, whose caste records could be found. It referred to the draft rules mentioned as Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate (Amendement) Rules, 2024. According to it, the Kunbi certificate can be issued to the applicant who can establish his blood relationship with Kunbi records.
Pune: The Maratha-OBC politics is flaring up again in the state after the Shinde Committee submitted its fourth report to state govt stating that over 58 lakh Kunbi records had been found. These would enable up to two crore Marathas obtain Kunbi certificates to avail OBC quota benefits, a panel member said.
OBC leaders and activists strongly objected to the report. OBC activist Laxman Hake said the state should not accept it, while senior NCP member Chhagan Bhujbal said the court would decide on the issue.
The committee's report, submitted to state govt last week, stated that it had found 58,82,000 Kunbi records. Based on these, a total of 8,25,851 Kunbi certificates had been issued. "Going by the applicant's details, up to two crore Marathas are expected to be eligible for reservation under the OBC category with these certificates," the committee member said.
OBC leaders opposed the Shinde Committee's fourth report, like its previous three.
Former cabinet minister Bhujbal said some people had approached the court, challenging the issuance of certificates. The court would decide on the issue, the NCP MLA said.
OBC activist Hake took a firmer stand on the report and demanded that state govt should not accept it. He said, "If two crore Marathas are included in the OBC category, it will have an adverse impact within the OBC community. The inclusion of such a large number of people in the category will destroy the entire reservation for the OBC community in the long run.
Therefore, we demand that state govt should not accept the report. Otherwise, we will have to start a statewide agitation."
On the other hand, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange welcomed the report and criticised Bhujbal for opposing it. He said, "Bhujbal has always tried to create hurdles for the Maratha community in getting reservation, but he will never be successful. We are happy that some of our demands have been accepted by govt, but still some demands have not been accepted.
I will be holding a rally on April 30 to decide the future course of action on the issue."
The Mahayuti govt had constituted the Shinde Committee in its earlier tenure, when Eknath Shinde was the chief minister. It became a focal point in state politics, with Maratha activist Jarange holding multiple rallies across the state to demand the inclusion of the Maratha community in the existing OBC category.
In response to his demand, the committee searched several documents to find Kunbi records.
When govt began issuing Kunbi certificates after the committee started finding the records, OBC leaders and activists opposed the move.
Last year, state govt had issued a notification to recognise Maratha community members as Kunbi, whose caste records could be found. It referred to the draft rules mentioned as Maharashtra Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Denotified Tribes, Nomadic Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Special Backward Category (Regulation of Issuance and Verification of) Caste Certificate (Amendement) Rules, 2024.
According to it, the Kunbi certificate can be issued to the applicant who can establish his blood relationship with Kunbi records.
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