Wind up panel on Kunbi certs to Marathas, says Bhujbal


In a strong statement on the Maratha-OBC faceoff, food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal demanded that the Justice Sandeep Shinde committee set up by his own government to outline the procedure of giving Kunbi certificates to Marathas with Kunbi antecedents be wound up. He also said the Kunbi caste certificates given to Marathas in recent days should be scrapped.
“The committee has been formed, but the Supreme Court has said the Maratha communityis not backward.So the committee should be immediately scrapped. It has no rights,” said Bhujbal, who is from the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) and belongs to the OBC community.
Caste census is final answer: Bhujbal; Jarange talks tough
State food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal has demanded that the Justice Shinde committee be wound up and the Kunbi certificates that have been given to Marathas be stayed. He was speaking at the Maha Elgar Melava of the OBC community in Hingoli on Sunday. Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who belongs to the OBC community, skipped the rally. He had attended the last rally addressed by Bhujbal in Ambad, but later distanced himself after claims that leaders within the government were supporting Bhujbal’s stand.
At Sunday’s rally, Bhujbal said the Nirgude committee, which will examine the backwardness of the Maratha community, should, instead, do a comparative study. The final answer should be a caste census, he said. “Finally, the backwardness of the community can only be established in comparison to other communities,” he said. Bhujbal said many leaders had asked for a census and it was the only way ahead to get total clarity. Hitting out at Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, without naming him, Bhujbal said, “They were the ones throwing stones and setting things on fire in Beed.
It doesn’t take brains to instigate, but it takes brains to convince. It doesn’t take brains to set something on fire, but it takes brains to repair things. It doesn’t take brains to break things, but it takes brains to find solutions.” He pointed out that Marathas had taken the maximum benefit—85%— of the economically weaker section quota.
He said he has no fascination with a ministerial berth as the well-being of OBCs remains his focus. In response, Jarange said in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, “Bhujbal has become old. Is he above the law? If our certificates are stayed, then their (OBC) certificates will be automatically stayed.” He said the Maratha community has supported Bhujbal, but he has been trying to break the community. OBC leader Babanrao Taywade said the community has so far been silent, “but we will not tolerate insults”.


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