Minister Bhujbal Warns OBCs Will Protest If Maratha Quota Encroaches

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal has issued a stern warning, stating that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will launch massive protests if their existing reservation is tampered with to provide quota benefits to the Maratha community. The senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader made these remarks during a meeting with prominent OBC leaders on Monday, amid ongoing protests by Maratha activists led by Manoj Jarange at Azad Maidan since August 29.

Bhujbal strongly opposed granting OBC status to Marathas, arguing that only 17 per cent of the 27 per cent OBC reservation remains available for 374 communities after allocations to groups like nomadic tribes (6 per cent) and the Gowari community (2 per cent). He dismissed claims that Marathas and Kunbis are the same, calling it "foolishness" and citing a High Court ruling that supports his stance.

The minister highlighted that Marathas already benefit significantly from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota, with government data showing 8 per cent of EWS beneficiaries are Marathas. "Marathas are not socially backward," Bhujbal asserted, noting that the community qualifies for the 10 per cent EWS reservation for economically weaker groups outside OBC, Dalit, or Adivasi categories.

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Bhujbal urged that any reservation for Marathas should not encroach on the OBC quota. "We have no issue if Marathas get reservations without touching OBC rights," he said, warning that diluting the OBC share would lead to "lakhs" of community members taking to the streets. He emphasised the limited opportunities OBCs face in government jobs and education, arguing that further reductions would be a grave injustice.

The NCP leader also met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday to convey the concerns of OBC organisations, who have vowed to protect their rights. Bhujbal has been a vocal critic of Jarange’s hunger strike and demand for Kunbi status for Marathas, calling it legally and socially untenable.

As tensions rise between the Maratha and OBC communities, Bhujbal’s remarks signal a potential escalation in the quota dispute, with Mumbai’s Azad Maidan remaining a focal point for protests.

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