Maratha Reservation Row: OBC Welfare Foundation Moves HC Against Kunbi Certificates Given to Maratha Community

Mumbai: The OBC Welfare Foundation has moved the Bombay High Court challenging the state government's January 26 notification granting Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category. The High Court on Thursday directed the state government to respond to the petition.

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The petition has challenged various decisions of the government since 2004 that allowed the Maratha community to obtain Kunbi certificates. The petition has also challenged the setting up of the Justice (retd) Sandeep Shinde Committee, which was appointed to study the process of issuing Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community, and the report submitted by the committee to the government. The petition was being heard on Thursday before a bench headed by Chief Justice Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Justice Arif Doctor.

Advocate General Birendra Saraf, appearing for the state government, sought time from the bench to respond to the petition. The court granted their request and posted the matter for further hearing on June 27. Maratha protesters led by Manoj Jarange-Patil had demanded the government to give Kunbi certificates to 'Sage-Soyre'. Accordingly, the government outlined the draft rules for the amendments in a notification issued on January 26. The OBC Welfare Foundation has filed a petition against it.