Maharashtra Minister slams cabinet colleague Chhagan Bhujbal for stirring inter-caste tensions in state

Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal's recent statement regarding the allocation of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas and its potential impact on OBC (Other Backward Classes) reservations has sparked a significant reaction from his fellow politicians. Bhujbal's statement has been criticized as an attempt to gain publicity and has raised concerns about the potential for inter-caste conflict in the state.

Shambhuraj Desai, a colleague of Bhujbal in the state cabinet and a Shiv Sena leader, expressed his disapproval of Bhujbal's remarks. Desai suggested that such statements could create confusion and division between different castes in Maharashtra, potentially exacerbating the situation.

“Nobody is going to do that. There is no such issue in front of the government. In the decision made by the Cabinet for the Maratha reservation, it was decided we would not disturb the reservation currently available for the castes. The government will not share that part of the reservation with the Maratha community. (State Minister) Chhagan Bhujbal is trying to create confusion by passing such statements,” Desai said.

Desai also stated that Bhujbal should not have tried to portray that the OBC reservations were in danger.

#WATCH | Mumbai: On Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal's statement, state minister Shambhuraj Desai says, "Nobody is going to do that. There is no such issue in front of the government. In the decision made by the Cabinet for the Maratha reservation, it was decided we would not… pic.twitter.com/9NQya3F4Ch

— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2023

What Chhagan Bhujbal says?

“We must speak up if we are facing anything. But if we are facing injustice or having some trouble and we decide to keep quiet, then we will not get a remedy for it. Therefore, now it is time to spread terror (evdhi dahshat majvaychi) and get things done,” said Bhujbal, the food and civil supplies minister who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction.

Bhujbal is a senior OBC leader in Maharashtra who has voiced opinions against giving reservations to Marathas in the OBC quota. “People are asking me to raise my voice. In every taluka of the state these bulldozers are roaming about. The OBCs are unlikely to survive this. It is a do-or-die situation for us. We need to raise our voices. We are as it is being pushed around,” Bhujbal was alleged to have said in a leaked telephone conversation he had with one of his supporters.

“Those who genuinely found their old Kunbi certificates from the Nizam era should be given this status. But now, the number is growing from 5,000 to 10,000 to 15,000 and now across the state. When the front door entry was blocked, it seemed to be an attempt to enter into the OBC quota through the back door. We are not opposed to the Maratha reservation. But give them separate reservations and not within the OBC quota,” he said.

The minister clarified that despite being in power, he was ready to speak against the government over the ‘injustice’ that is being committed against the OBCs.

Bhujbal added that there are over 375 castes within the OBCs, with over 54 per cent population. “You (OBCs) should also stand united. All castes within the OBCs should speak in one voice. If you speak differently, then the future will be in danger,” he said.