Maratha quota issue: Bhujbal's protest call a farce; he should resign for OBC quota cause, says NCP (Sharad Pawar faction)

Pic: PTI File

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) Tuesday took a swipe at Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal's and dubbed his call for an agitation to protect the Other Backwards Certificate quota a "farce".

The party also demanded his resignation for "misleading people", newswire PTI reported.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP's national spokesperson Clyde Crasto wondered how Bhujbal could be in the government and protest at the same time. "Chhagan Bhujbal's agitation is a farce. Why didn't he raise this issue in the Cabinet and express his concern," Crasto told PTI.

Bhujbal has announced the staging of protests outside the residences of MLAs, MPs and tehsildars on February 1 against the state government's decision regarding the Maratha quota.

"If he really wants to give justice to his community (OBC) he must resign and fight for their rights wholeheartedly," Crasto said.

Bhujbal and the Eknath Shinde-led government are only fooling and misleading the people of Maharashtra on the Maratha reservation issue, Crasto alleged.

Bhujbal, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP, has targeted the state government over a draft notification issued following negotiations with Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange.

As per the draft notification, blood relatives of a Maratha person, who has records to show that he belongs to the agrarian Kunbi community, would also be recognised as Kunbi.

An agrarian community, Kunbi falls in the OBC category, and Jarange, who has been spearheading the agitation for reservation for the Marathas since last August, has been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas.

Earlier in the day, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Tuesday claimed the OBCs have realised that Maharashtra cabinet minister Chhagan Bhujbal did nothing for them and they will not feel bad if he steps down from his post.

Jarange Raigad district to offer tributes to Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Raigad fort.

When a reporter asked about Bhujbal's warning of resigning from the cabinet if the concerns of OBCs are not addressed, the activist said, "Nobody will succumb to such pressure tactics."

He also said top leaders of the ruling coalition are smart enough to handle Bhujbal.

"Even the OBCs have realised that Bhujbal did nothing for them in the last many years. They will not feel bad if he steps down," Jarange said.

On Monday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he would talk to his party and cabinet colleague Bhujbal on his opposition to the state government's decision on Maratha quota. (With inputs from PTI)