OBCs disrupt CM’s speech, holds huge rally in Hingoli

In Hingoli, a huge morcha was organized by the OBC community, led by OBC activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare. Demanding scrapping of the GR, Hake said that they still believe the CM will withdraw the GR on Maratha quota

Mumbai: Amid unrest in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community over reservation, four individuals tried to disrupt the speech of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar on Wednesday. They raised slogans demanding scrapping of the Hyderabad Gazette that was accepted by the state government as a valid document to issue Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community. Fadnavis, who was addressing a gathering to observe ‘Marathwada Mukti Sangram’ (Marathwada Liberation Day), termed the behaviour as inappropriate and an insult to freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the region. The protestors were immediately detained by the police.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Sep 17 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis speaks during the inauguration of the state-level 'Mukhyamantri Samruddha Panchayat Raj Abhiya, in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Wednesday. (CMOMaharashtraX/ANI Photo) (@CMOMaharashtra)

“I feel sad that some people are raising slogans during the Marathwada Mukti Sangram program. This is the biggest insult to the freedom fighters. May God give them good sense,” an annoyed Fadnavis said.

In Beed, two youths made an attempt to immolate themselves in front of the convoy of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. They too were opposing the government’s decision on Hyderabad Gazette for Maratha quota. In Dharashiv too, protestors tried to disrupt state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik’s program organised on the occasion of the Marathwada Liberation Day.

In Hingoli, a huge morcha was organized by the OBC community, led by OBC activists Laxman Hake and Navnath Waghmare. Demanding scrapping of the GR, Hake said that they still believe the CM will withdraw the GR on Maratha quota.

“The GR is meant to end the OBC reservation. We believe that the chief minister will scrap it. Even though he (Devendra Fadnavis) has been saying that the OBC reservation was not affected but the fact remains that the OBC reservation has not only badly impacted but it has been finished,” Hake remarked expressing objection.

On the other hand, the Banjara community, which has been demanding status of Scheduled Tribe (ST), carried out morchas at three different places — Washim, Jalna and Jalgaon. Banjaras claim that the same Hyderabad Gazette that the government has gone by for Maratha reservation considers them as ST and based on the same document they are getting ST reservation benefits in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Currently, the Banjara community is part of Vimukt Jati (Denotified Tribes) in the state and gets 3% reservation while ST reservation stands at 7%.

NCP (SP) Sharad Pawar urged the chief minister to intervene to reduce the bitterness among communities. He said, “The bitterness between the two communities needs to be reduced at any cost and CM Fadnavis should take the initiative.”