Ahead of the special session of Maharashtra Assembly to discuss the Maratha reservation issue, members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) on Tuesday staged a protest in Beed, saying the government was blackmailed to end the political reservation of the OBC community.
“We are not against Maratha reservation but Manoj Jarange’s demand to take reservation from OBC is wrong. He blackmailed the government to end the political reservation of OBC. The government can give separate reservations to Marathas but OBC reservation should not be given…,” said one of the protesting members of the OBC community.
The state government has called a special session of the Maharashtra assembly today to discuss the Maratha reservation issue, which has promoted voices of dissent from within the ruling alliance of CM Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, NCP (Ajit Kumar) and the BJP.
Earlier this month, Maharashtra minister and NCP (Ajit Kumar) leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that the government has succumbed to the pressure and accepted and took the “illegal and unfair” decision of accepting Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s demands.
“Bowing to pressure from the Maratha community, the government today announced some illegal and unfair decisions on OBCs. Even if the government succumbs to the pressure, we will not remain silent. We will raise our voice strongly against this injustice on the OBC community. Soon the direction of the next struggle of OBCs will be decided!,” Bhujbal said shortly after Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Patil and announced acceptance of all his demands.
Patil has been demanding reservation in education and jobs for the Maratha community under the OBC category.
Few of his other demands included Kunbi certificates for all Marathas, free education from nursery to postgraduate level, and reservation of seats for the community in government jobs.