Maratha quota should not be at OBCs' expense: NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday reiterated that the existing reservation for the Other Backward Classes OBCs should not be curtailed while giving reservation to the Marathas reported the PTIChhagan Bhujbal also hit out at Maratha activist Manoj Jarange over his recent statements as per the PTIAccording to the news agency while speaking at a rally of OBC communities the NCP leader asked how suddenly a number of records showing Marathas as belonging to the Kunbi caste were being foundChhagan Bhujbal and several other prominent OBC leaders including Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar Rajesh Rathod BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar Prakash Shendge and Mahadev Jankar attended the OBC Bhatke Vimukt Jaat Aarakshan Bachao Yalgaar Sabha rally for saving the reservation of OBCs and Nomadic Tribes at Ambad in Jalna district of Maharashtra according to the PTIThe event took place 25 km from the Antarwali Sarati village where Jarange had launched a hunger strike for the demand of Maratha quota first in August and again in OctoberOBCs have got reservation constitutionally and after an approval of the Supreme court He Jarange says that we have taken away their Maratha community reservation for 70 years Are we taking away something that belongs to Jaranges familyChhagan Bhujbal said the PTI reportedWe do not oppose Maratha reservation but there should be no encroachment on the OBC quota he addedAccording to the PTI Chhagan Bhujbal also questioned how suddenly records showing Maratha families as belonging to the Kunbi caste an OBC community were being discoveredFollowing Manoj Jaranges hunger strike the Eknath Shindeled Maharashtra government decided to give Kunbi caste certificates to those Marathas who could produce records of the erstwhile Hyderabad state where their ancestors were described as belonging to Kunbi community so that they can avail of OBC quotaInitially 5000 records were found in Marathwada which was part of the Nizams Hyderabad state before 1948 Later the number went up to 13500Even when there were elections in Telangana the number went up Chhagan Bhujbal said as per the PTIOBC leaders should hold such rallies in every taluka of the state he saidHe also took a swipe at Jarange saying that after there was lathicharge on Maratha protesters at Antarwali Sarati in September he went home and sleptThe truth of the incident of lathicharge did not come out Police officers were suspended which demoralized them As a result police did not act in the Beed city and Majalgaon where the Maratha quota agitation turned violent last month the minister addedA caste census should be conducted immediately and it would make the picture clear Chhagan Bhujbal saidHe also criticised Jaranges appeal to people not to allow political leaders to enter their villages till the Marathas got reservation There is democracy in the stateDo these people own the state I appeal to the chief minister and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who holds the home portfolio that the boards saying no entry for leaders should be removed Is there law and order or not he saidCongress leader Vijay Wadettiwar who is the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly said the demand of caste census should be taken up with Prime Minister Narendra ModiIf there is encroachment in OBC reservation we will not sit quiet he warnedwith PTI inputs