Nagpur: After the Supreme Court directed the Maharashtra government to conduct triple test for granting OBC reservation in local bodies, including collection of their empirical data, Congress on Wednesday appealed to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to immediately take up the task.
MPCC president Nana Patole requested chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to himself take the initiative and ensure that all the facilities required by the Backward Classes Commission were provided so that the data collection exercise could begin at the earliest.
Newly-elected MLC Chandrashekhar Bawankule, though flayed the MVA government for “sitting idle” for the last 10 months, claimed that empirical data as demanded by the apex court could be prepared in a month.
“This data can be collected with 1,000% guarantee, as local bodies keep complete record of citizens in their area. The government just need to consolidate it. But all three ruling parties do not wish to grant reservation to the OBCs. The differences between Congress which controls OBC department and NCP that is having finance department are responsible for not the reservation case not being sustainable in SC. Their internal feud is preventing the OBCs from getting their right,” he said.
Maharashtra relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar pointed out that though the top court had allowed elections to Bhandara and Gondia Zilla Parishad and Municipal Councils on other seats than OBCs, it would not be possible to elect chairmen and other office-bearers due to lack of sufficient number of members. “In councils, a coram of 17 members is required to elect the chairman. Similarly, in ZP, 50 members are needed for the same,” he said.
He added that MVA’s ordinance had secured about 85% seats for OBC in local bodies polls but the top court had rejected it. “We know who all are behind this and who sponsor their tickets and lawyers. We will expose it at the right time. When OBC quota is underway in other states, why this injustice to Maharashtra? The opposition leaders are behind all this and OBC community would teach them a lesson,” he said.
Patole said Congress has always supported the OBC reservation and wants it to be maintained. “The CM should put all the machinery to work on this issue immediately. The issue of OBC reservations has become complicated because of BJP and the stand taken by leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis when he was CM. If the data from the central government was inaccurate, then why did Fadnavis and the then minister Pankaja Munde wrote to the Modi government seeking the same data?” he said.
MPCC president Nana Patole requested chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to himself take the initiative and ensure that all the facilities required by the Backward Classes Commission were provided so that the data collection exercise could begin at the earliest.
Newly-elected MLC Chandrashekhar Bawankule, though flayed the MVA government for “sitting idle” for the last 10 months, claimed that empirical data as demanded by the apex court could be prepared in a month.
“This data can be collected with 1,000% guarantee, as local bodies keep complete record of citizens in their area. The government just need to consolidate it. But all three ruling parties do not wish to grant reservation to the OBCs. The differences between Congress which controls OBC department and NCP that is having finance department are responsible for not the reservation case not being sustainable in SC. Their internal feud is preventing the OBCs from getting their right,” he said.
Maharashtra relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar pointed out that though the top court had allowed elections to Bhandara and Gondia Zilla Parishad and Municipal Councils on other seats than OBCs, it would not be possible to elect chairmen and other office-bearers due to lack of sufficient number of members. “In councils, a coram of 17 members is required to elect the chairman. Similarly, in ZP, 50 members are needed for the same,” he said.
He added that MVA’s ordinance had secured about 85% seats for OBC in local bodies polls but the top court had rejected it. “We know who all are behind this and who sponsor their tickets and lawyers. We will expose it at the right time. When OBC quota is underway in other states, why this injustice to Maharashtra? The opposition leaders are behind all this and OBC community would teach them a lesson,” he said.
Patole said Congress has always supported the OBC reservation and wants it to be maintained. “The CM should put all the machinery to work on this issue immediately. The issue of OBC reservations has become complicated because of BJP and the stand taken by leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis when he was CM. If the data from the central government was inaccurate, then why did Fadnavis and the then minister Pankaja Munde wrote to the Modi government seeking the same data?” he said.
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