Maratha leaders accuse state of deceiving community

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Government Resolution (GR) implementing the Gazetteer of the Hyderabad Estate has not granted the Maratha community reservation under the OBC category. Only those whose records already exist have been given an easier process to avail reservation under the OBC quota. The government has merely deceived the Maratha community, this was the conclusion drawn at the state-level Maratha Reservation Round Table Conference held in the city at Cidco. Convenor Sanjay Lakhe Patil briefed this information at a press conference on Thursday.

The press conference was also addressed by Rajendra Kondhre, Dr Shivanand Bhanuse, Ramesh Kere, Ravi Kale, and Mukesh Sonawane.

Patil said, “ Under the leadership of Manoj Jarange Patil, a massive march comprising lakhs of people was taken out in Mumbai. While persuading Manoj Patil to end his hunger strike, the state government issued a Government Resolution (GR) to implement the Hyderabad Gazetteer. According to this GR, individuals with records prior to 1967 will be eligible to receive Kunbi caste certificates.”

However, those from the Maratha community who do not have such records or verifiable genealogies will not be granted reservation under this GR, and the government should clarify this matter explicitly, said S L Patil.

Kondhre noted that the Maratha community, who are deprived of reservation, will have to fight for it once again.

Bhanuse pointed out that a GR alone cannot provide reservation to any community; a separate law is required for it. The earlier reservation did not withstand scrutiny in the Supreme Court. The current SEBC reservation is pending in the High Court, and there are doubts about whether it will stand the test of law.

Disband both cabinet sub-committees

The state government has set up two separate cabinet sub-committees for the Maratha community and the OBC community. Members of the OBC committee are creating discord between the two communities. Therefore, it was demanded on this occasion that both these committees be immediately disbanded, and the government should instead hold direct dialogue with the communities.