Plot to wipe out OBC political quota through backdoor entry of Marathas, says LoP Vijay Wadettiwar | Nagpur News

NAGPUR: Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged that the Maharashtra government was plotting to shrink or even eliminate political reservation for other backward classes (OBCs) by giving Marathas a backdoor entry in the same quota.
In an exclusive chat with TOI, Wadettiwar said, “It’s not about jobs or education alone, the primary intent is to get political reservation in OBC quota,” said Wadettiwar.“Marathas already have a dominant presence and if they secure seats in OBC quota, then backward castes would be politically wiped out,” he added. This quota straddles polls, barring parliamentary and assembly elections.

The veteran MLA from Chimur said, the Eknath Shinde-led government seems to be taking an anti-OBC stand. “Why did the Justice Shinde committee not include OBC members? It’s unconstitutional and must be dissolved,” said Wadettiwar on the panel formed to study a specific part of the Maratha reservation demand.
Wadettiwar said, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange should not threaten the government with his demands. “Political blackmail is not the way, there’s a constitutional way of doing things. Jarange seems to have a misconception about the prosperity of the OBC community. OBCs include 372 castes that include the poorest of the poor. There are 70-odd castes that are nomadic and struggle to make ends meet, but are deprived of quota benefits as they don’t have documents,” said Wadettiwar.
The senior Congress leader will be attending a mega OBC meet in Jalna later this month. “Our patience is running out and the government is not considering the OBC point of view. We will hold multiple meetings and tell our OBC members to wake up and protect their constitutional rights, or be prepared to perish,” said Wadettiwar. Jarange too has announced a statewide tour starting mid-November and there are apprehensions about sustained friction between the two communities if parallel agitations continue. Wadettiwar said, “This government is solely responsible for triggering rift and unrest.”
He added there is just one solution to this problem. “Our leader Rahul Gandhi has demanded a caste-based census and the Maharashtra government needs to do just that. But they are avoiding it because it will cement the strength of OBCs and create political discomfort for some sections,” said Wadettiwar. He also demanded an inquiry against officials who are allegedly issuing Kunbi certificates without proper checking of documents.