Bhujbal urges govt to withdraw GR on Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas

Mumbai: An OBC organisation led by Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday urged the state government to withdraw or suitably modify its GR for the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community.

It also demanded that the government ensure the GR does not dilute the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quotas covering more than 350 communities in the state.

There has been restlessness among OBCs after the state social justice and special assistance department issued the GR on implementing the Hyderabad gazetteer, which will allow eligible members of the Maratha community to apply for Kunbi caste certificates. This will enable them to claim quota under the OBC category after certificates are issued.

The government resolution (GR) was issued after the state cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation successfully persuaded quota leader Manoj Jarange to withdraw his hunger strike in Mumbai on September 2.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Akhil Bhartiya Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad president Bhujbal on Tuesday claimed the GR was issued "in a haste under pressure from one powerful community" without cabinet approval or consulting stakeholders from the OBCs.

The GR lays down a procedure for granting caste certificates based on records in the Hyderabad gazetteer and affidavits by local residents or relatives.

The parishad argued this amounted to creating a separate, simplified mechanism for Marathas while hundreds of OBC castes have to undergo the established process under the Maharashtra Caste Certificate Act, 2000 and 2012 Rules.

Bhujbal said using the term "Maratha community" instead of caste names like Kunbi, Maratha Kunbi or Kunbi Maratha was unlawful, since Marathas are separately recognised under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2024 with 10 per cent reservation.

"This would permit the Maratha community to enjoy benefits of two types of reservations," the NCP leader added.

The OBC body noted the Justice Shinde Committee had already verified more than 47,845 records in Marathwada, leading to the issuance of 2,39,021 lakh caste certificates and only 428 applications were rejected.

It questioned the need for a fresh GR and also objected to reliance on vague terms like "relation" and "kul" in affidavits, warning the order could create confusion, arbitrariness and social unrest.

The parishad demanded that the government cancel or amend the GR to ensure it does not dilute OBC quotas covering more than 350 communities in Maharashtra.