Nashik, Sep 25 (IANS) Amid ongoing protests by Marathas, OBCs, Banjaras and Adivasis over reservations, the NCP minister and Samata Parishad founder Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday said that reservation is not a poverty alleviation programme while countering party president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s statement that he had not reason to disagree with reservation based on economic status.

“Reservation is not a poverty alleviation programme. Maratha is a community, a caste while OBC is a class with many castes in it. This is why the OBC reservation is there. OBCs are socially backward. Therefore, we are against giving reservation based on economic status,” said minister Bhujbal who has already opposed the release of the government resolution by the MahaYuti government providing Kunbi certificates to the Marathas.

He has already appealed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to scrap the same government resolution or modify that citing it has been adversely impacting the OBCs.

Incidentally, NCP-SP working president Supriya Sule recently supported reservation based on economic criteria.

“Reservation has to be for people who really need it. I cannot ask for a reservation because my parents are educated, I’m educated, and my children are educated. Shame on me if I apply for it. It is for somebody who probably did not have an education and needed it. If my child is studying in Mumbai and is going to one of the good schools, there could also be a child brighter than mine in maybe Chandrapur who does not have access to this kind of education,” she added.

Minister Bhujbal said, “Our country has a democratic system and we have complete faith in the judiciary. Therefore, we will fight both legal and street battles to maintain OBC reservation. A petition will be filed soon in the Supreme Court objecting to the government’s decision regarding Maratha reservation. No government can include anyone in reservation nor can anyone be excluded from reservation. However, the government made an attempt to do so. It says that a person with a Kunbi record can give an affidavit to members in his clan and relatives. Through which they will get a caste certificate.”

“The government resolution is a blow to the OBCs as the members of OBC community say that now our reservation is over, so some of them are sacrificing themselves by committing suicide. We will fight with courage, patience and unity like the ancestors of Chhatrapati Shivji Maharaj. We will stand firmly behind the OBCs,” Bhujbal added.

He said that the children of OBCs in the state want education and jobs. Gross injustice is being done to OBCs while providing grants and implementing schemes.

Referring to the recent agitation by pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, minister Bhujbal criticised that the entire Maharashtra is being held captive demanding Kunbi status to Marathas which is against the Constitution and also against various court orders.

He, however, commented that no community can be declared socially backward due to political pressure. Therefore, there should be no attempt to include the Maratha community among the backward classes.

–IANS

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