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Government decision on Maratha reservation: A slur on the rights of the OBC community?
Pune, September 6, 2025: OBC leader Laxman Hake has made a serious allegation that the government order (GR) recently issued by the state government for Maratha reservation is a "black paper" that ends the reservation of the OBC community. Hake has expressed strong displeasure over the government's decision to provide reservation to the Maratha community from the OBC category, and has claimed that the rights of the OBCs are being snatched away due to this decision. According to Hake, the rights of the OBC community are being slurred by issuing bogus certificates in the name of Maratha reservation.
Maratha reservation controversy and Hake's objection
After the hunger strike by Maratha community leader Manoj Jarange Patil for Maratha reservation, the state government decided to accept his demands and simplify the process of providing Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community. Following this decision, the government issued a Government Order (GR), which paved the way for the Maratha community to get reservation from the OBC category. However, Laxman Hake has claimed that this government order is illegal and has jeopardized the reservation of the OBC community.
Hake protested the government's decision by holding a silent protest along with OBC leaders at Mahatma Phule Wada in Pune. He said, "This GR is completely illegal. The Supreme Court, the Central Backward Classes Commission and the State Backward Classes Commission have refused to include the Maratha community in the OBC category. Still, the government is facilitating the process of issuing Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community. This will directly impact the reservation of the OBC community."
Criticism of the government's stance
Laxman Hake has strongly criticized this decision of the government. He said that the government has taken the basis of the Hyderabad Gazetteer for Maratha reservation, but the Maratha community has not been declared as socially backward in the gazetteer. "If reservation is to be given based on the entries in the gazetteer, then the Banjara community will have to be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation. The government should not create ten new problems to solve one problem," Hake said.
Hake has also questioned the cabinet subcommittee formed for Maratha reservation. He said, "This subcommittee includes OBC ministers, but they have not been included in the decision-making process. This subcommittee is completely biased." He has demanded that political leaders clarify their stand on the issue of Maratha reservation. In particular, he has directly targeted Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
OBC community's agitation intensifies
The OBC community has now taken up the position of agitating against the GR for Maratha reservation. Laxman Hake has decided to take out a march in Baramati, even though the police have denied permission for it. "The police should arrest us or shoot us, but we will take out this march," Hake has warned. His movement is being linked to Manoj Jarange Patil's movement, which has heated up the social atmosphere in the state.
In Pune, Hake expressed his anger by tearing the GR of Maratha reservation. He said, "This GR is an attack on the rights of the OBC community. We will hold a statewide movement against this." Youth from the OBC community also protested the GR of Maratha reservation by raising slogans in support of Hake.
Role of the Maratha community
On the other hand, the Maratha community has been protesting for the last several years for its reservation demand. Under the leadership of Manoj Jarange Patil, the Maratha community had gone on a five-day fast at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, due to which the government accepted their demands. They are insistent that the Maratha community should get reservation in education and jobs. However, this demand has created discontent in the OBC community, as they fear that their reservation will be reduced.
Accusations against political leaders
Laxman Haque has also made serious allegations against Sharad Pawar. He said, "Sharad Pawar on one hand takes out Mandal Yatra and on the other hand supports the illegal demands of Manoj Jarange. The Pawar family has ended the reservation of OBCs and Chief Minister Fadnavis has been cheated in this." He has also accused Ajit Pawar's MLAs of supporting Jarange's agitation.
Possibility of legal battle
Hake has called the GR for Maratha reservation a contempt of the decisions of the Supreme Court and the High Court. The Supreme Court had declared Maharashtra's Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act (SEBC Act, 2018) null and void in 2021, as it had exceeded the 50% limit of reservation and violated the 102nd Amendment. Haque has shown his readiness to fight a legal battle against this GR.
Fear of social tension
The social atmosphere in Maharashtra has become tense due to this dispute between the Maratha and OBC communities. On one hand, the Maratha community is fighting for its rights, while on the other hand, the OBC community has taken to the streets to save its reservation. As tensions between these two communities are increasing, a big challenge has arisen before the government. This is likely to jeopardize social harmony in the state.
Government's next move
Although the government has accepted the demands on the issue of Maratha reservation, the government is in trouble due to the agitation of the OBC community. The Maratha and OBC communities
Pune, September 6, 2025: OBC leader Laxman Hake has made a serious allegation that the government order (GR) recently issued by the state government for Maratha reservation is a "black paper" that ends the reservation of the OBC community. Hake has expressed strong displeasure over the government's decision to provide reservation to the Maratha community from the OBC category, and has claimed that the rights of the OBCs are being snatched away due to this decision. According to Hake, the rights of the OBC community are being slurred by issuing bogus certificates in the name of Maratha reservation.
Maratha reservation controversy and Hake's objection
After the hunger strike by Maratha community leader Manoj Jarange Patil for Maratha reservation, the state government decided to accept his demands and simplify the process of providing Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community. Following this decision, the government issued a Government Order (GR), which paved the way for the Maratha community to get reservation from the OBC category. However, Laxman Hake has claimed that this government order is illegal and has jeopardized the reservation of the OBC community.
Hake protested the government's decision by holding a silent protest along with OBC leaders at Mahatma Phule Wada in Pune. He said, "This GR is completely illegal. The Supreme Court, the Central Backward Classes Commission and the State Backward Classes Commission have refused to include the Maratha community in the OBC category. Still, the government is facilitating the process of issuing Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community. This will directly impact the reservation of the OBC community."
Criticism of the government's stance
Laxman Hake has strongly criticized this decision of the government. He said that the government has taken the basis of the Hyderabad Gazetteer for Maratha reservation, but the Maratha community has not been declared as socially backward in the gazetteer. "If reservation is to be given based on the entries in the gazetteer, then the Banjara community will have to be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation. The government should not create ten new problems to solve one problem," Hake said.
Hake has also questioned the cabinet subcommittee formed for Maratha reservation. He said, "This subcommittee includes OBC ministers, but they have not been included in the decision-making process. This subcommittee is completely biased." He has demanded that political leaders clarify their stand on the issue of Maratha reservation. In particular, he has directly targeted Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
OBC community's agitation intensifies
The OBC community has now taken up the position of agitating against the GR for Maratha reservation. Laxman Hake has decided to take out a march in Baramati, even though the police have denied permission for it. "The police should arrest us or shoot us, but we will take out this march," Hake has warned. His movement is being linked to Manoj Jarange Patil's movement, which has heated up the social atmosphere in the state.
In Pune, Hake expressed his anger by tearing the GR of Maratha reservation. He said, "This GR is an attack on the rights of the OBC community. We will hold a statewide movement against this." Youth from the OBC community also protested the GR of Maratha reservation by raising slogans in support of Hake.
Role of the Maratha community
On the other hand, the Maratha community has been protesting for the last several years for its reservation demand. Under the leadership of Manoj Jarange Patil, the Maratha community had gone on a five-day fast at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, due to which the government accepted their demands. They are insistent that the Maratha community should get reservation in education and jobs. However, this demand has created discontent in the OBC community, as they fear that their reservation will be reduced.
Accusations against political leaders
Laxman Haque has also made serious allegations against Sharad Pawar. He said, "Sharad Pawar on one hand takes out Mandal Yatra and on the other hand supports the illegal demands of Manoj Jarange. The Pawar family has ended the reservation of OBCs and Chief Minister Fadnavis has been cheated in this." He has also accused Ajit Pawar's MLAs of supporting Jarange's agitation.
Possibility of legal battle
Hake has called the GR for Maratha reservation a contempt of the decisions of the Supreme Court and the High Court. The Supreme Court had declared Maharashtra's Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act (SEBC Act, 2018) null and void in 2021, as it had exceeded the 50% limit of reservation and violated the 102nd Amendment. Haque has shown his readiness to fight a legal battle against this GR.
Fear of social tension
The social atmosphere in Maharashtra has become tense due to this dispute between the Maratha and OBC communities. On one hand, the Maratha community is fighting for its rights, while on the other hand, the OBC community has taken to the streets to save its reservation. As tensions between these two communities are increasing, a big challenge has arisen before the government. This is likely to jeopardize social harmony in the state.
Government's next move
Although the government has accepted the demands on the issue of Maratha reservation, the government is in trouble due to the agitation of the OBC community. The Maratha and OBC communities
Maratha reservation controversy and Hake's objection
After the hunger strike by Maratha community leader Manoj Jarange Patil for Maratha reservation, the state government decided to accept his demands and simplify the process of providing Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community. Following this decision, the government issued a Government Order (GR), which paved the way for the Maratha community to get reservation from the OBC category. However, Laxman Hake has claimed that this government order is illegal and has jeopardized the reservation of the OBC community.
Hake protested the government's decision by holding a silent protest along with OBC leaders at Mahatma Phule Wada in Pune. He said, "This GR is completely illegal. The Supreme Court, the Central Backward Classes Commission and the State Backward Classes Commission have refused to include the Maratha community in the OBC category. Still, the government is facilitating the process of issuing Kunbi certificates to the Maratha community. This will directly impact the reservation of the OBC community."
Criticism of the government's stance
Laxman Hake has strongly criticized this decision of the government. He said that the government has taken the basis of the Hyderabad Gazetteer for Maratha reservation, but the Maratha community has not been declared as socially backward in the gazetteer. "If reservation is to be given based on the entries in the gazetteer, then the Banjara community will have to be given Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservation. The government should not create ten new problems to solve one problem," Hake said.
Hake has also questioned the cabinet subcommittee formed for Maratha reservation. He said, "This subcommittee includes OBC ministers, but they have not been included in the decision-making process. This subcommittee is completely biased." He has demanded that political leaders clarify their stand on the issue of Maratha reservation. In particular, he has directly targeted Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
OBC community's agitation intensifies
The OBC community has now taken up the position of agitating against the GR for Maratha reservation. Laxman Hake has decided to take out a march in Baramati, even though the police have denied permission for it. "The police should arrest us or shoot us, but we will take out this march," Hake has warned. His movement is being linked to Manoj Jarange Patil's movement, which has heated up the social atmosphere in the state.
In Pune, Hake expressed his anger by tearing the GR of Maratha reservation. He said, "This GR is an attack on the rights of the OBC community. We will hold a statewide movement against this." Youth from the OBC community also protested the GR of Maratha reservation by raising slogans in support of Hake.
Role of the Maratha community
On the other hand, the Maratha community has been protesting for the last several years for its reservation demand. Under the leadership of Manoj Jarange Patil, the Maratha community had gone on a five-day fast at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, due to which the government accepted their demands. They are insistent that the Maratha community should get reservation in education and jobs. However, this demand has created discontent in the OBC community, as they fear that their reservation will be reduced.
Accusations against political leaders
Laxman Haque has also made serious allegations against Sharad Pawar. He said, "Sharad Pawar on one hand takes out Mandal Yatra and on the other hand supports the illegal demands of Manoj Jarange. The Pawar family has ended the reservation of OBCs and Chief Minister Fadnavis has been cheated in this." He has also accused Ajit Pawar's MLAs of supporting Jarange's agitation.
Possibility of legal battle
Hake has called the GR for Maratha reservation a contempt of the decisions of the Supreme Court and the High Court. The Supreme Court had declared Maharashtra's Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act (SEBC Act, 2018) null and void in 2021, as it had exceeded the 50% limit of reservation and violated the 102nd Amendment. Haque has shown his readiness to fight a legal battle against this GR.
Fear of social tension
The social atmosphere in Maharashtra has become tense due to this dispute between the Maratha and OBC communities. On one hand, the Maratha community is fighting for its rights, while on the other hand, the OBC community has taken to the streets to save its reservation. As tensions between these two communities are increasing, a big challenge has arisen before the government. This is likely to jeopardize social harmony in the state.
Government's next move
Although the government has accepted the demands on the issue of Maratha reservation, the government is in trouble due to the agitation of the OBC community. The Maratha and OBC communities
