Maratha Quota Row: PIL Challenges Kunbi Certificate Policy in Bombay HC

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the Maharashtra government's decision to grant Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community. This move, the petition claims, undermines reservations for the state's Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

The PIL, filed on Tuesday by one Mangesh Sasane, who claims to be the chairman of the ‘OBC Welfare Foundation’, said the state government by granting Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community was “eating into” the reservation of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The petition is likely to come up for hearing on February 6, as per the HC’s website. The plea challenges five government resolutions issued from 2004 permitting the Marathas to seek Kunbi caste certificates.

Earlier, the process of granting Kunbi certificates to Marathas was difficult but with every agitation, the process was made easier. This was just to facilitate the Marathas (for reservation), the petitioner’s advocate Ashish Mishra claimed.

This challenge comes after the Supreme Court struck down the Maharashtra government's decision to grant reservation to Marathas in 2021. Mishra contends that the current move offers a backdoor solution to the quashed reservation policy. The petition further challenges five government resolutions issued between 2004 and 2023, which allowed Marathas to seek Kunbi caste certificates.

Meanwhile, Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil continues his march towards Mumbai, demanding the issuance of Kunbi certificates to all Marathas. Adding fuel to the fire, the state government recently proposed a draft notification recognizing blood relatives of Marathas with proven Kunbi lineage as members of the Kunbi community.

With the PIL filed and the ongoing Maratha agitation, the issue of Kunbi certificates and OBC reservations in Maharashtra promises to remain a contentious topic in the coming weeks.