Only genuine Kunbis will get reservation; false claims will not be allowed : CM Devendra Fadnavis

Clarification issued that the reservation ordinance is not blanket in nature

Mumbai – Following the protest led by Maratha activist Manoj Jarange, the Government issued an ordinance. However, this ordinance does not grant blanket reservation benefits to the Maratha community. ‘Only those who can prove they are genuine Kunbis will receive the benefit of reservation. No one will be able to make false claims in this matter’, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

The Chief Minister further said :

1. I have assured Chhagan Bhujbal that this ordinance will not affect the OBC community in any way.

2. This is not a blanket ordinance; it is strictly evidence-based. The Marathwada region was not under British rule but under the rule of the Nizam. Hence, unlike in British-ruled regions, documentary proof is not easily available there.

3. In Marathwada, evidence is found in the Nizam-era Hyderabad Gazette. Therefore, we have considered such records valid. As a result, only those who are truly Kunbi will be granted reservation. The Hyderabad Gazette refers to the gazette notifications published by the erstwhile Hyderabad State Government during or after the Nizam’s rule, which contained official government decisions, orders, and notifications. Now, after the formation of separate states (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh), each has its own gazette, e.g., Maharashtra Government Gazette, Karnataka Gazette, Telangana Gazette, etc. (In the Hyderabad Gazette, the Maratha community is referred to as ‘backward’, which is why Maratha activists cite it as legal and historical proof for their demand for reservation.)

4. The State Government had registered cases against Maratha protestors in line with the orders of the High Court. Therefore, the matter must now be brought before the High Court for appropriate decision-making.