Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, made a significant statement today by advocating for the creation of a distinct reservation quota specifically for the Maratha community. Wadettiwar vehemently opposed the idea of sharing the existing quota designated for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) with the Maratha community.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Wadettiwar clarified his stance, stating that he is not against the concept of expanding the quota limit to accommodate the Maratha community. He emphasized, “A separate quota for the Maratha community can certainly be established. However, I firmly oppose the notion of the Marathas sharing the existing OBC quota.”
Wadettiwar proposed that the Maharashtra government should consider raising the quota limit to fulfill the long-standing demands of the Maratha community for reservations in education and job opportunities. He added, “Rather than getting entangled in the complexities of issuing Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community, the Maharashtra government should proactively increase the quota limit and include the Marathas within it.”
Responding to claims made by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the lack of efforts by the previous MVA government to provide reservations for the Maratha community, Wadettiwar expressed skepticism. He remarked, “Fadnavis and BJP State president Chandrashekhar Bawankule are taking contradictory stances on the issue of Maratha reservations. This appears to be an attempt to divert attention and mislead the public.”
On another note, chief minister Eknath Shinde announced on Monday that a committee would submit a report within a month on the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas from the Marathwada region. In response, Wadettiwar commented, “Forget about 30 days; even if the state government takes 30 months, such a reservation cannot be granted. The state government seems to be attempting to mitigate the unrest among the people following the police’s use of force against Maratha quota protesters in Jalna last week.”