Cracks surface in ruling alliance over Maratha reservation issue

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called the situation a gang war within the cabinet and declaring that the language used by some leaders was “poisonous”

MUMBAI: Differences within the state’s ruling alliance on the issue of Maratha reservation have surged to the fore following Chhagan Bhujbal’s strong opposition to Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas to enable them to partake of OBC reservation. The issue, on which the NCP minister has been roundly criticised by his colleagues in the Shiv Sena and BJP, is likely to come up in the meeting of the state cabinet on Tuesday.

Thane, Nov 21 (ANI): Maratha Reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil being welcomed by supporters while on his way to a gathering at Gadkari Rangayathan drama theater, at TMC office Chowk Panchpakadi in Thane on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) (Anil Shinde)

Bhujbal, a prominent OBC leader, has been castigating the state government’s special drive to issue Kunbi sub-caste certificates to Marathas, calling it a “backdoor entry” of Marathas into the OBC category. On Sunday, he demanded that a panel, appointed by the government to come up with a mechanism for this, be dissolved. The NCP minister also remarked that the home department had failed to put forth the fact that the September 1 lathi charge on Maratha protesters in Jalna took place after the police were attacked by the mob.

Reacting to the situation, chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday told journalists in Thane that he had spoken to Bhujbal after the latter demanded the disbandment of the Justice Sandeep Shinde committee and a stay on the issuance of Kunbi certificates to Marathas. “Bhujbal is not against reservation for Marathas,” he claimed. “We don’t want to do injustice to OBCs and will not take away their reservation. We have set up a committee to show that Marathas are backward. Bhujbal’s stand is also the same.”

The chief minister’s protestations notwithstanding, Bhujbal’s remarks are in sharp contrast to the government’s stand on the issue. Minister Shambhuraj Desai from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena objected to the NCP leader’s remarks, saying the decision to appoint a panel under Justice Shinde was taken by the state cabinet. “Bhujbal himself attended the meeting when the decision was taken,” he said. “If he has any problem, he should speak to the chief minister and deputy chief ministers instead of making public statements.”

Senior BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar also expressed unhappiness over Bhujbal’s remarks on the home department. “We will raise the issue in the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday,” he said. “Bhujbal needs to clarify what he meant.” BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye, however, maintained that the BJP’s stand was that Marathas must get reservation without affecting OBC reservation. “All the issues that are coming up will be solved at the government level,” he said.

For the past few days, Bhujbal has been upping the ante on the issue of Maratha reservation and strongly opposing Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s demand that all Marathas be given OBC quota benefits. While Jarange-Patil has set December 24 as the deadline for this, Bhujbal has begun addressing rallies of the OBC community, opposing any such move by the government.

Significantly, Bhujbal’s party colleague and minister Hasan Mushrif said there should not be any problem in giving Kunbi certificates to those Marathas who could produce documents to support their claim that their caste was originally mentioned as Kunbi in pre-Independence documents. When contacted NCP (Ajit faction) state president Sunil Tatkare said he would clarify his party’s stand on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties also criticised Bhujbal, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut calling the situation a gang war within the cabinet and declaring that the language used by some leaders was “poisonous”. “Why are some leaders using a certain kind of language to challenge other leaders?” he said, alluding to Bhujbal. “You are in a cabinet, and you should sit with others to solve the issue. This language is detrimental to the unity of people and social harmony of the state.”

NCP (Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule questioned why Bhujbal had been making public statements instead of raising his demands in a cabinet meeting. “The state government has the support of 200 MLAs,” she said. “Despite this, Bhujbal, who is also a cabinet minister, speaks out in a public rally. He should make his demands in the cabinet meeting, as he has the right to speak there. This so-called triple-engine government has no coordination.”