The BJP and Maha Vikas Aghadi partners on Monday cited ‘’faulty’’ method of collection of empirical data of Other Backward Classes (OBC) adopted by a dedicated commission headed by former chief secretary Jayant Banthia saying that it will harm in the interest of the OBCs. The empirical data is a part of a triple test the state government has to fulfill for the restoration of 27% political quota in local and civic bodies in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis took a strong objection to the collection of empirical data of OBCs saying that there were a lot of errors in it. ‘’If the survey is continued in the present manner, the number of OBCs will actually be reduced and it will be a great loss to the OBC community,’’ he claimed.
‘’NCP Minister Chhagan Bhujbal is working for the reservation of the OBC community but he has no authority. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray should give appropriate instructions to the concerned. The OBC community is going to suffer due to the wrongly conducted survey,’’ said Fadnavis. He warned that if the government does not take appropriate action, BJP will take to the streets.
Bhujbal argued that the exact number of OBCs cannot be ascertained from surnames alone. ‘’Empirical data is being collected to restore the political reservation of OBCs in the state, but in some places, caste is being considered as a barrier. Such a method is wrong and all parties need to pay attention to it,’’ he said.
“Empirical data based on faulty information will be unfair to OBCs but we will not allow this to happen. We will bring this matter to the notice of the Chief Minister and appeal to the dedicated commission,’’ said Bhujbal.
The Minister of OBCs Vijay Wadettiwar also supported the objections raised by Fadnavis and Bhujbal. ‘’The government has already suggested the dedicated commission to remove anomalies in the collection of empirical data and it will be done to ensure justice to OBCs,’’ he noted.
