'Convert draft notification on 'blood relatives' of Kunbi Marathas into law'

Activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday claimed the bill providing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community would not stand legal scrutiny and reiterated his demand that the Maharashtra governments draft notification on blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas be converted into a law reported news agency PTISpeaking to reporters at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district Manoj Jarange who has been on a hunger strike since February 10 said a meeting of the Maratha community members will be held in the afternoon after which further course of action will be decided reported PTIThe Maharashtra legislature during a oneday special session on Tuesday unanimously passed a bill providing 10 per cent reservation for the Marathas in education and government jobs under a separate category but Jarange has been firm on his demand for quota for the community under the OBC head reported PTIA substantial number of castes and groups are already placed in the reserved category getting about 52 per cent of reservations altogether It would be completely inequitable to place the Maratha community in the Other Backward Class OBC category the bill said reported PTIAs per the draft notification issued by the state government last month if a Maratha person has proof to show that he or she belongs to Kunbi caste the persons blood relatives too would be recognised as Kunbi reported PTIKunbis fall under the OBC category and get quota benefitsThe scrutiny of the draft notification issued last month for granting certificates to extended blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas is currently underway as 6 lakh objections have been received Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told the legislative assembly on TuesdayJarange on Wednesday said the government issued a draft notification earlier this month for giving quota to the relatives of Marathas reported PTIBut it didnt implement it and no discussion took place over it in the special session of the assembly People still have faith in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde He should accept that the oath on granting reservation he took earlier is still incomplete He should tell the hurdles in implementing the quota for relatives of Marathas he said reported PTIJarange claimed the government would have regretted its decision of 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community because no one celebrated in the state after it was announcedThe Maratha community people have understood that this is the same reservation that they were given earlier also but was later struck down he added reported PTIThe Maratha community has nothing to do with the 10 per cent reservation given in the special assembly session on Tuesday It will not stand legal scrutiny he said reported PTIA meeting of Maratha community members will be held in Antarwali Sarati village in the afternoon after which further course of action will be decided he saidJarange also said he will continue to take medical treatment following the Bombay High Courts directiveAfter tabling the bill in the Lower House on Tuesday CM Shinde said as many as 22 states in the country have crossed the 50 per cent reservation mark reported PTIFor instance Tamil Nadu state has 69 per cent Haryana 67 per cent Rajasthan 64 per cent Bihar 69 per cent Gujarat 59 per cent and West Bengal 55 per cent I can mention other states as well The purpose of the session is to help the Maratha community he said reported PTIWe want to give reservation to the Maratha community without touching the existing quota of the OBCs in the state The Marathas have been struggling for the last 40 years to get reservation benefits the CM said reported PTIWith inputs from PTI