‘Maratha quota GR not discussed in Cabinet, needs to be withdrawn’: Minister Chhagan Bhujbal writes to CM Fadnavis

The Government Resolution issued on September 2 regarding the implementation of Hyderabad Gazette is likely to pave way for the Maratha community to get Kunbi (OBC) status.

Written by Alok Deshpande

Mumbai | Updated: September 10, 2025 02:58 AM IST

'Maratha quota GR not discussed in Cabinet, needs to be withdrawn': Minister Chhagan Bhujbal writes to CM Fadnavis

Bhujbal stated that the G R was issued in haste, under the tremendous pressure, without it being put before the Cabinet, not considering any objections and suggestions. (File Photo)

Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal, in his capacity as the founder-president of Akhil Bharatiya Mahtma Phule Samata Parishad, on Tuesday wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeking withdrawal or modification in the Government Resolution issued on September 2 regarding the implementation of Hyderabad Gazette which may pave way for the Maratha community to get Kunbi (OBC) status.

Bhujbal stated that the G R was issued in haste, under the tremendous pressure of one powerful community, without it being put before the Cabinet, not considering any objections and suggestions.

“We therefore have no choice but to write to you seeking withdrawal of the said G R dated 02.09.2025, or an appropriate clarification and/or modification of the same. In our view, the G.R. dated 02.09.2025 needs to be withdrawn or reviewed and suitably modified so that it does not affect the reservation provided to OBC category,” said the letter sent by the Food and Civil Supplies Minister.

Earlier, Opposition Congress’ Legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar had called a meeting of OBC organisations, announcing to hold a protest march at Nagpur on the first week of October.

Pointing out that the Maratha community has already been granted 10 per cent reservation under SEBC Act, 2024; the letter stated the GR as unlawful as it permits the Maratha community from getting the benefit of two types of reservations.

“Secondly, the various pronouncements of the Supreme Court and the High Courts and the consequent Acts passed by the State Legislature streamlining the qualifications and procedure for obtaining OBC caste certificates have been ignored, and in so far as the Marathas are concerned, the G.R. dated 02.09.2025 makes a departure from the established procedure for caste verification and obtaining caste validity for all castes. Having two different procedures for the same class i.e. OBCs, amounts to arbitrary action and invidious discrimination which has no nexus to a common object viz. verification and grant of caste certificate,” the letter said.

It mentioned that one caste could not have been singled out and be given a special treatment for facilitating the issuance of caste certificates to them, leaving out other reserved backward categories.

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The letter mentioned that affidavit ‘cannot and ought not to form the basis of caste certificates or belonging to a caste’ – as mentioned in the GR.

“In any case, affidavits to be used to decide or determine the caste of an individual is an unknown concept or the determination of caste in India, especially when it concerns the establishment of facts to secure constitutional protection of reservation in education and employment,” it said.

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