Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday reiterated that the existing reservation for the Other Backward Classes should not be curtailed while giving reservation to the Marathas, and also hit out at Maratha activist Manoj Jarange over his recent statements.
Speaking at a rally of OBC communities, the NCP leader asked how suddenly a number of records showing Marathas as belonging to the Kunbi caste were being found.
Bhujbal and several other prominent OBC leaders including Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar, Rajesh Rathod, BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar, Prakash Shendge and Mahadev Jankar attended the `OBC Bhatke Vimukt Jaat Aarakshan Bachao Yalgaar Sabha' (rally for saving the reservation of OBCs and Nomadic Tribes) at Ambad in Jalna district of Maharashtra.
The event took place 25 km from the Antarwali Sarati village where Jarange had launched a hunger strike for the demand of Maratha quota first in August and again in October.
"OBCs have got reservation constitutionally and after an approval of the Supreme court. He (Jarange) says that we have taken away their (Maratha community) reservation for 70 years. Are we taking away something that belongs to Jarange's family?" Bhujbal said.
"We do not oppose Maratha reservation, but there should be no encroachment on the OBC quota," he added. -- PTI