Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has voiced strong disapproval of the Maharashtra government’s September 2 Government Resolution (GR), which permits individuals from the Maratha community to acquire caste certificates under the Kunbi category. This move has ignited significant opposition, leading to a large-scale protest march by the Other Backward Class (OBC) community in Nagpur.
Wadettiwar condemned the decision, asserting it would be “unfair to the entire OBC community” and could inflict considerable damage. He stated to ANI, “This GR will be unfair to the entire OBC community and society, causing significant harm to OBCs. It will lead to widespread infiltration and an increase in fake OBCs, violating the rights of genuine OBCs. By issuing this GR, the government has put the OBC community at risk…”
He called for the government to retract the GR, suggesting it’s an opportunity to rectify the situation. Wadettiwar warned, “If the government makes such a decision by bowing down to the Maratha community, then public anger will be visible on the streets, and that anger is being expressed today through this Morcha… This is the government’s opportunity to improve matters by withdrawing this GR. We also requested some corrections to it. If the government ignores this issue, it will face consequences. The OBC community will make the government realise its position.”
NCP-SCP leader Anil Deshmukh, who also participated in the OBC march, echoed these concerns. He noted that despite assurances from Devendra Fadnavis that the OBC community would not be negatively impacted, the resolution is expected to cause significant setbacks in education, politics, and employment for OBCs.
Deshmukh urged the government to cancel the resolution, cautioning that protests would escalate if their demands are not met. “The entire OBC community is conducting the Bhavya Morcha in Nagpur today. Everyone knows that the BJP government, especially its leader Devendra Fadnavis, has stated that it would not harm the OBC community in any way. Despite this, a resolution was passed for the Maratha reservation… As a result, the OBC community is likely to face significant losses. More new people will gain access to OBC reservations,” Deshmukh stated.
He added, “Consequently, the OBC community is expected to suffer considerable setbacks in education, politics, and employment… Our demand is that the government should cancel the resolution… If the government does not cancel the resolution, then we will take our next step. If it does not happen, then we will further intensify our protest.”