Mumbai: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Other Backward Class (OBC) face Chhagan Bhujbal revealed that he had resigned from the cabinet on 16 November — a day before the first OBC rally was held in the state.
It was while speaking at the mega OBC rally in Ahmednagar Saturday, that Bhujbal made this startling revelation.
“My allies in the cabinet as well as those in the opposition say that I should resign (since I am speaking about the OBC cause). I want to tell all of them that on 16 November, a day before the first OBC rally was held, I offered my resignation from the cabinet,” he said.
“No need to kick me out of the cabinet, I have already offered my resignation and I have kept quiet for the past two-and-a-half months because of the chief minister and deputy CM,” he added.
Bhujbal once again questioned the need for giving Kunbi certificates to Marathas, who are demanding reservation under the OBC category. He reiterated that he was not against giving reservation to Marathas, but said that they should get it separately and not at the cost of the OBC quota.
He also lashed out against the Maharashtra government and accused it of collecting fake proofs to obtain Kunbi certificates for Marathas. He alleged that Rs 360 crore had been sanctioned to make fake proofs and documents were being tampered with.
“Why can’t anyone understand that if such fake proofs are given, then the OBC reservation will come under threat?” he said.
“Since the time the Maratha reservation issue has come up in the state, the arrogance of Marathas has gone up and OBCs are being troubled and many are abusing in front of OBC houses,” he added.
Bhujbal also came out strongly against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who has led protests and a hunger strike demanding reservation.
“If the Maratha reservation issue was sorted on 27 January, why has Manoj Jarange-Patil declared that he will be protesting again from 10 February?” Bhujbal asked. “If Eknath Shinde has declared that he has fulfilled the promise of giving Marathas the reservation, then why is the backward commission still conducting surveys?”
The Maharashtra government issued a draft notification on 27 January following negotiations with Jarange-Patil, stating that blood relatives of a Maratha person, who has records to show that he/she belongs to the agrarian Kunbi community, would also be recognised as Kunbi (OBC sub-caste).
However, a day before his revelation, Bhujbal had Friday denied having any differences with his party, or being sidelined in the party because of his stand against the government.
“I have not been sidelined. So far, no one in the party has spoken against me. Ajitdada (Ajit Pawar) also said that I have all the right to speak for the OBCs (other backward classes), something I have been doing all along,” he said.
Also Read: Despite Jarange-Patil’s ‘deadline’, Shinde says special session to discuss Maratha quota in February
Bhujbal’s aggressive stand
Bhujbal’s aggressive stand on the OBC quota issue has been evident since the time the Maratha issue had propped up in the state. Bhujbal, a senior OBC leader who has always championed the OBC cause, has spoken up against the government.
On 27 January, when the government came out with a draft notification on the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible Marathas, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he would allay the concerns of his cabinet colleague Chhagan Bhujbal.
Earlier, Bhujbal had questioned the “backdoor entry” of Marathas into the OBC category and said that he was not satisfied with the state government’s decision on the reservation issue. “The OBCs are having a feeling that they have lost their reservations as Marathas will take the benefits,” he had said.
Meanwhile, in the rally Saturday, Bhujbal appealed to the OBCs to stay united and fight for their rights. “This is the time. Everything is at stake. Now we can’t stop, or bend. We need to all stay united,” he added.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
Also Read: Why Backward Classes Commission resignations may be advantageous for Shinde govt amid quota backlash