Prakash Ambedkar, leader of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), has expressed strong opposition to the demand for Maratha reservations from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota.
He criticised political parties for failing to clarify their stance on this contentious issue and raised concerns about the potential consequences for the OBC community if Marathas were granted reservations from the existing quota.
Ambedkar, addressing the matter, recalled a question he had posed during a yatra, in which he sought clear positions from political parties on the demand led by Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil.
Patil has been advocating for the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category to benefit from reservation policies. Ambedkar emphasised that despite calling on political parties, no concrete responses were given regarding their stand on the matter.
“When we had taken out the Yatra, we had asked a question – Jarange Patil demanded that the Maratha community should be granted reservation from the OBC quota. So, political parties should make their stand on this clear. They did not clear their stand. The chief minister called a meeting, but the stand was not cleared,” Ambedkar noted, highlighting the lack of commitment from key political figures.
He further criticised the support shown by senior leaders like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Both leaders have publicly backed Jarange Patil’s demand for Maratha inclusion in the OBC category. Ambedkar pointed out that Pawar, in particular, made a statement in Ratnagiri supporting the Maratha cause, while also acknowledging that smaller communities would need careful consideration in the matter. Thackeray echoed similar sentiments, aligning himself with Pawar’s stance.
Ambedkar’s concern stems from his view that the OBC community lacks leadership and political representation in this critical issue. He underscored that the VBA is the only party advocating for the protection of OBC reservation rights.
“So, now I think OBC has no leader or party standing for them, except us, to fight to secure their reservation. The OBC organisations are asking us to fight this,” Ambedkar declared, positioning the VBA as the sole defender of OBC interests in this debate.
Reaffirming his support for OBC rights, Ambedkar firmly stated that the OBC quota should remain exclusive to the communities it was originally intended for. He opposed the idea of including Marathas within the OBC reservation framework, emphasising that such a move would be detrimental to the OBC community.
Additionally, he voiced opposition to the distribution of 55 lakh certificates, which have been provided to Marathas by the government, further complicating the situation.
Ambedkar urged the government to take a different approach in addressing the Maratha community’s demands. While acknowledging the grievances of the Marathas, he insisted that any reservation benefits extended to them should not come at the expense of the OBCs. He called for separate solutions to the Maratha reservation issue, rather than compromising the OBC community’s rights.
“If the government wants to give reservation to anyone else, then it is between the government and them, but Marathas should not get reservation from the OBC quota,” Ambedkar asserted, urging a clear demarcation between the demands of different communities to prevent conflicts over reservation policies.
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