NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal writes to government, asks for clarity on Maratha GR

Maharashtra OBC Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday (September 9, 2025) submitted an eight-page letter to the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, raising legal concerns about the Maratha reservation Government Resolution (GR), and on behalf of Samata Parishad, an OBC organisation, he demanded that the GR be withdrawn or cancelled.

Mr. Bhujbal has asked for clarity on the contents of the GR and said, “Nowhere in India are solely used to determine caste on affidavits, so it is inappropriate for the government to use affidavits for giving certificates. The government should withdraw or clear the ambiguities.”

In the letter, Samata Parishad president Mr. Bhujbal outlined the objectionable points of the GR, saying the “ambiguous and vague terms” used in the GR for issuance of Kunbi-OBC certificates to the Maratha community may affect the reservation provided to the OBC category.

“The absolute vagueness of the GR is being interpreted by the persons belonging to the Maratha community and OBC in a completely different manner, which may result in a chaotic and potentially volatile situation in Maharashtra,” read the memorandum submitted to Mr. Fadnavis.

“The Maratha community has 10% reservation under the Socially and Educationally Backwards Community (SEBC) in State education and employment. So, using the term Maratha Community in the Act of OBC, SC, and ST is “unlawful”, which will facilitate two types of reservations to the community,” he noted in the letter.

Days after the State government issued the Maratha GR, the OBC leaders, including Mr. Bhujbal, continued to oppose the decision. They called the GR “unjust” to the OBC category, and a hasty decision was taken under pressure from one community. Before the issuance of GR, Mr. Jarange Patil sat on a five-day hunger strike in Mumbai, demanding Kunbi caste certificates for Marathas of Marathwada.

While objecting to the use of the term Maratha Community instead of OBC, Kunbi, Maratha Kunbi, or Kunbi Maratha, Mr. Bhujbal said, “No suggestions or objections were considered. The term ‘relation’ (natesambandh) used in the resolution is vague and could include any lineage, leading to caste determination based on hundreds of distant affidavits. This could be dangerous for OBC communities.”

He also objected to the term “kul”, saying it is not a defined term, and may have family, communal, or geographic extension.

Mr. Bhujbal pointed out that the GR issued for recognising the Hyderabad Gazetteer, but this was already achieved by the notification dated 18th July 2024 pursuant to the recommendations of the Shinde Committee, by which the 2012 Rules were amended.

“The Shinde Committee, after visiting Hyderabad, searched a total 47,845 number of records in the eight districts of Marathwada, and based on those records, 2,39,671 applications were made for the issuance of caste certificates, and the caste certificates were accordingly issued to 2,39,021, and only 428 applications were rejected. So, the records of the Hyderabad Gazetteer have already been acted upon by granting caste certificates to persons in respect of whom the records were found by the Shinde committee. Therefore, the GR dated 2nd September 2025 has no purpose for applying the Hyderabad Gazetteer,” read the letter.