Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday asserted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has no moral authority to remain in office, following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegations of “vote theft” in the Rajura assembly constituency of Chandrapur district.
Sapkal claimed that 6,850 votes were manipulated in Rajura and pointed out that even the state police, under the home department led by Fadnavis, had registered an FIR in connection with the matter. He said the incident raises serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process and the role of the state machinery in ensuring free and fair elections, according to the news agency PTI.
“Rahul Gandhi has once again exposed how democracy is being sabotaged in Maharashtra. The theft of over 6,000 votes in Rajura, now confirmed by an FIR filed by CM Fadnavis` own police, proves that the Mahayuti alliance has no moral right to remain in power,” Sapkal said in a press conference in neighbouring Thane.
“The BJP captured power with the Election Commission`s help by stealing votes. Fadnavis should open his eyes and resign immediately,” he said after a review meeting of the party`s Konkan division, reported the news agency PTI.
Accusing the Election Commission of acting with double standards, he alleged that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was speaking like a political leader.
“By subverting democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP want to make India like Nepal or Sri Lanka,” he alleged. Sapkal termed the recent Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms as a “victory for Rahul Gandhi`s foresight”.
“Rahul Gandhi had demanded GST reforms eight years ago and the government is implementing those changes today,” he said. The Congress will celebrate the occasion by distributing sweets to traders across the state on September 22, he announced.
The Congress leader demanded Rs 50,000 per hectare of compensation for crop losses suffered by farmers as a result of heavy rains in the state, and Rs 5 lakh per hectare for farmland erosion. He further sought free seeds and fertilisers for the rabi season along with farm loan waivers, as per the PTI.
Sapkal also hit out at the state government for its attempts to “impose” a third language in schools.
“Marathi is not just a language but our cultural identity. By thrusting another language, Fadnavis is stabbing Marathi in the back. The BJP is trying to erase India`s identity of unity in diversity,” he said, warning that the party would resist any such move.
President Vladimir Putin urged aerospace industry leaders on Friday to press on with efforts to develop booster rocket engines for space launch vehicles and build on Russia’s longstanding reputation as a leader in space technology.
Putin, who has spent the past week in China and the Russian far eastern port of Vladivostok, flew to the southern Russian city of Samara, where he met industry specialists and toured the Kuznetsov design bureau aircraft engine manufacturing plant.
Amid growing backlash against Maharashtra government’s revised management quota policy, the Yuva Sena – Shiv Sena’s youth wing – called for immediate rollback of the decision allowing institutions to charge two to three times the regular fee for professional courses under the quota
On Tuesday, a delegation of the Yuva Sena, from Mumbai University, submitted a formal memorandum to Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil in this regard.Formal memorandum. (PIC/ SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT)
The opposition comes amid the ongoing admission process for the academic year 2025–26, conducted through the Maharashtra State Common Entrance Test (CET) Cell. Yuva Sena Senate member Pravin Chavan and former Senate member Rajan Kolambekar led the charge, with support from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Anil Parab, highlighted the growing financial burden on students who narrowly missed out on merit-based seats.Yuva Sena member Rajan Kolambekar. (PIC/ SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT)
“This policy is unjust. Deserving students who missed the general merit list by a small margin are now being denied access to higher education simply because they cannot afford these inflated fees,” stated the Yuva Sena representatives in their memorandum.
Earlier, the government had permitted colleges to admit two to three additional students under the management quota without charging tuition fees in a bid to support meritorious students from economically weaker backgrounds. However, that provision has now been revoked, drawing sharp criticism from student bodies.
What is management quota?
Under the management quota, private colleges are legally allowed to reserve a certain percentage of seats, which can be filled at the discretion of the institution. The admission process for these seats often involves higher fee, direct interviews, or donations rather than strict entrance exam merit.
For instance, if the standard annual fee for a course is Rs 4 lakh, colleges can charge up to Rs 8–12 lakh from management quota students. This has raised concerns about accessibility and equity in higher education.
Allegations of legalised donation practices
The student body strongly objected to what it termed as the “legalisation of donation culture”.
“Previously, when colleges took donations for admissions, many were penalised by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Now, the same institutions are being given official permission to charge excessive fees, indirectly encouraging corruption and malpractice,” the Yuva Sena statement read.
The student wing further demanded that institutions which have already collected inflated fee from management quota students should be instructed to refund the additional amount and that the government must immediately withdraw this policy.
State’s response: Fee Regulation Authority to tighten oversight
Speaking to mid-day.com, Advocate Dharam Mishra, an official from the Maharashtra government’s Department of Legal Affairs and member of the Fees Regulating Authority (FRA), clarified the legal provisions, stating, “Medical colleges have long been authorised to charge up to three times the regular fee for management quota seats. This provision was extended to all Higher and Technical Education streams following a High Court directive. The FRA had sanctioned this policy in 2018, allowing colleges to charge up to three times the Institutional Quota (IQ) fee for local students and up to five times for NRI students.”Advocate Dharam Mishra. (PIC/ SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT)
Mishra admitted that until recently, compliance with management fee regulations were lax. However, the FRA has now mandated all institutions, including those in engineering, pharmacy, and other technical streams, to submit detailed fee records for management quota admissions.
“It remains the responsibility of each college to ensure that no extra charges are levied beyond the approved fee structure. The FRA will continue monitoring to ensure fairness and accountability,” he added.
Call for equity and transparency
While the government cites legal provisions and regulatory frameworks, the Yuva Sena delegation has argued that the policy undermines access to education for bright, underprivileged students and promotes an exploitative fee culture.
The student body has called on Minister Chandrakant Patil to withdraw the triple-fee policy, reinstate the zero-fee provision for deserving students, and ensure that no student is denied admission solely due to financial incapacity.
As the debate heats up, all eyes are now on the state education ministry and the FRA to see if corrective action is taken, or if the system continues to tip in favour of deep pockets over deserving talent.
Seats can be bought, but not merit: Students, parents question quota
Speaking to mid-day.com, a 22-year-old BTech student from KC College in Thane voiced frustration over the management quota system, stating, “A student who worked hard and scored 87 per cent was left out, while another with just 70 per cent got through the management quota. That doesn’t feel fair.”
A final-year IT student from Don Bosco Institute of Technology, Mumbai, echoed similar concerns. “The management quota goes against merit and hard work. Can a student who simply paid more fees become a better engineer than the one who studies hard?
Bringing in students through a `paid` quota is like selling seats. If a student couldn`t qualify on merit, how will they manage the course load?” she questioned.
Parents also raised objections, stating that such quotas undermine academic integrity.
“Colleges charge exorbitant amounts in the form of management quota, which is totally unacceptable. The fact is that only the lower-income family kids make a herculean effort to study hard and score high, as the rich know that their futures are already secured. Hence, charging a deserving student under the management quota is really unfair and inappropriate,” said Roy, a parent whose daughter studies in Don Bosco Institute of Technology.
“Money can buy you a seat, but not intelligence. Only hard work helps a student succeed, never just money,” said another parent.
However, not all views are critical.
Shubham, a student from KC College in Thane, shared a different perspective.
“This quota gave me an opportunity I wouldn’t have otherwise had. It helped me secure admission into a good college where I believe I can build a strong career,” he said.
Adding an academic viewpoint, a professor from a Mumbai college offered a more neutral take.
“The management quota doesn’t take away someone else’s seat. It exists as a separate allocation and is, in that sense, harmless.”
This is what you often get with Europe’s elite club competition, and this week has provided plenty to talk about as the league phase kicks into gear.
ESPN experts Mark Ogden, Julien Laurens, Sam Tighe and Gab Marcotti offer their thoughts on Matchday 1 so far, with more to follow after Thursday’s matches which include Newcastle United vs. Barcelona and Manchester City vs. Napoli.
Do Arsenal have the squad/talent/depth to finally win the Champions League this year?
Mark Ogden: Yes, but they’re probably in the second bracket of teams capable of winning it, outside the real heavyweights — basically the big clubs that have won it at least once before.
Arsenal have the squad, the individual players and the tactical discipline to go all the way, but I wonder if they have the belief that they can do it when the pressure is really on. There is also an issue with creativity when Martin Ødegaard is missing. Without him, everything goes out wide and Arsenal create nothing through the middle — they need to resolve that if they are to win the competition.
Ultimately, they have the players now. They just need to go out and prove it.
Gab Marcotti: Sure, why not? They came pretty darn close last year, and spent a ton in the summer. Meanwhile, I’m not sure the other semifinalists got much better. Inter Milan and Barcelona went backwards, and we’ll find out whether ditching Gianluigi Donnarumma for Lucas Chevalier in goal was as clever as Luis Enrique thought it was.
The Gunners are obviously much deeper and, in fact, Arteta literally has more than two options for each position. But that also presents a challenge. He’s never been in this position before, and having emphasized chemistry and cohesion in the past, man management can be much harder when you have more choices.
Sam Tighe: The gut reaction to this is no, it’s difficult to envision Arsenal winning the Champions League. After all, they’ve failed to get over the line in the Premier League in three successive seasons — and winning this tournament is generally regarded as the “final” step.
It’s easy to suggest that this team simply does not have the mettle to win club football’s biggest prize, but consider the following: The Gunners made it all the way to the semifinals last season and could have conceivably reached the final, had it not been for Donnarumma’s outrageous performance between the posts for PSG. They then added eight new signings to that squad, bulking up considerably in attack while retaining one of the best defences in Europe.
Accepting that they’d still need a stroke of luck along the way, as every winner does, why couldn’t this team go and do it?
Julien Laurens: The depth in their squad will make a big difference, for sure, in the Premier League and in the Champions League. But at the end of the day, Arsenal will win something if their superstars perform. Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba have to lead this team by playing at their best and delivering. If that happens, I still believe this team is better armed to be successful in Europe than in the league because this is a cup team. Due to their solidity defensively, they can beat anyone on their day, including the top European sides.
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Moreno: Liverpool always believe they will score
Alejandro Moreno reacts to another late win for Liverpool after a dramatic 3-2 win vs. Atletico Madrid in the Champions League
After a big night of upsets, which outsider/minnow has the strongest chance of reaching the knockouts?
Ogden:Bodo/Glimt will be a problem for teams who’ll have to travel into the Arctic Circle to face the Norwegian champions, as their run to last season’s Europa League semifinals showed. But I think the outsiders with the best chance of making the knockout phase are Union St.-Gilloise. Brighton & Hove Albion chairman Tony Bloom is a driving force despite only being a minority shareholder at the club, and they won their first Belgian title for 90 years last season.
The smart management and recruitment that Bloom has overseen at Brighton is now beginning to bear fruit. Overall, Belgian club football is enjoying a resurgence — Club Brugge made it to the round of 16 last season — and that is largely down to several teams now being part of multi-club ownership groups and favourable visa regulations in Belgium. They are getting better players and coaches as a result, and Union’s 3-1 win at PSV was a statement of that.
Marcotti: I watched nothing of Bodo/Glimt, Slavia Prague, Olympiacos, Pafos and Union St.-Gilloise before this week, so take this with a massive grain of salt. (But I watched loads of Qarabag … just kidding, no, I did not.) It’s hard to crown somebody on the basis of 90 minutes, but the fact that Qarabag went and got three points on the road to a Pot 2 side like Benfica is pretty huge. Especially when you consider that, other than whoever plays Kairat Almaty, it’s the longest away trip of the competition, which means wins at home aren’t out of the question.
Tighe: I’m going for Pafos. Let’s get carried away, shall we?
Laurens: For me, it’s Qarabag. They showed against Benfica, in Lisbon, how well they could play and how resilient they are. They have a strong collective, as well as decent individual quality from all over the world. Their manager, Qurban Qurbanov, has been in charge for 18 years and the way he outsmarted and outplayed Bruno Lage and Benfica to come back and win the game on Tuesday is a credit to his tactical abilities.
But surely their biggest asset in this Champions League is their home advantage. Teams will have to travel all the way to Baku in Azerbaijan — or 3,000 miles and a 3-hour time difference from London — to face them. So good luck to F.C. København, Chelsea, Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt on their travels there!
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Leboeuf: PSG were perfect vs. Atalanta
Frank Leboeuf praises PSG’s performance vs. Atalanta after an emphatic 4-0 win in the Champions League.
Best individual performance you’ve seen in MD1 (so far)?
Ogden: Has to be Marcos Llorente. Anyone that names his dog Anfield because of his goals record at Liverpool has to back it up whenever he goes back there, and guess what? The Atlético Madrid star bagged two more goals at Anfield while playing at right back on a night when Diego Simeone’s team were so unlucky not to come away with a 2-2 draw, losing eventually to Virgil van Dijk‘s stoppage-time winner.
Llorente doesn’t score many goals — before last night, he had scored five Champions League goals in his career, including two at Anfield in 2019-20. Now he has seven, with more than half of them coming on Liverpool’s home turf. Weird, but amazing all the same.
Marcotti: I’ll go with Kenan Yildiz. I’m very tempted to pick his Juventus teammate Dusan Vlahovic for the way he came on and wrecked everybody, showing just how silly some clubs were in their obsession with the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyökeres when he was sitting there, waiting for a transfer last summer. But then I see Yildiz’s goal and I remember Alessandro Del Piero, I remember that the kid is just 20 years old and scored an equally good goal at the weekend, and it’s hard not to pick him. Oh, he also served up an assist and hit the post.
Tighe: My choice is Ryan Gravenberch. OK, Liverpool left it late to win again, but this one wasn’t like the others. Unlike in Premier League play, where despite racking up 12 points from four games, the Reds have looked downright dysfunctional — and perhaps even tactically broken — in the very early stages of this season, this opening Champions League 3-2 win over Atlético Madrid was superb.
Powering it was Gravenberch, who was so dominant in midfield, there were moments where he looked like he was playing at 2x speed compared to everyone else, bar Dominik Szoboszlai. Perhaps it was the sheer range of his influence that stood out the most: Early on he popped up in the box to exchange passes and tee up Mohamed Salah for a goal; then later he somehow ended up as the last man, cleaning up a loose ball and recycling it.
This Liverpool team needs peak Gravenberch to stay stable. Atleti found that out the hard way.
Laurens: I’ll choose Kylian Mbappé because once again, the striker saved the day and carried Real Madrid. It is happening pretty much in every game so far this season. This is his team now, and he is their guide. Nobody knows where the Merengues would be without him, but we all know that they would not be with five wins in five games in all competitions.
The France star scored two more goals on Tuesday against Marseille, taking his tally to the season to six in five matches, and he also ranks first in Europe for touches in the opposition box, shots and shots on target so far this campaign. At 26, he has already reached 57 goals in the Champions League, as many as Thomas Müller and only behind Raúl (71), Karim Benzema (90), Robert Lewandowski (105), Lionel Messi (129) and Cristiano Ronaldo (140).
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Moreno: Dortmund conceding late is nothing new
Alejandro Moreno says ‘this is who Borussia Dortmund are’ as they concede a last minute equaliser against Juventus.
What else did you want to call out during Matchday 1?
Ogden: Which of Real Madrid’s two star right backs can be trusted when it matters?Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s slow start at Madrid hit another bump in the road with a hamstring injury against Marseille that could keep him out for two months, while his replacement Dani Carvajal earned himself a red card — and suspension — for a headbutt on goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli late in the second half.
Both Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal are world-class right backs with Champions League-winning pedigree, but Alexander-Arnold has had a bad 12 months with injuries, and that will be a concern for Alonso. Carvajal, who is 34 in January, has also had a tough time with fitness problems, but he also now has to deal with a suspension after losing his discipline against Marseille.
Since Alonso arrived — and including the Club World Cup — the Brazil star has lasted 90 minutes just once. And, of course, he was benched for Rodrygo against Marseille. You wonder if this pattern continues and he and Rodrygo (who played on the right the last couple years but is obviously a natural left-sided forward) will continue to alternate. Especially if Franco Mastantuono (who is excellent and showed it again against Marseille) continues to make the right flank his own.
Maybe it’s true what everyone suspected (but Alonso always denied) that Real Madrid wanted to move on Rodrygo over the summer. Now that he’s staying, Alonso rightly wants to get a contribution out of him, and that means putting him on the right, especially if Vini Jr. gives off his all-too-familiar “I-don’t-feel-like-tracking-back” vibes.
There’s a contract extension looming for Vini Jr., as well as a World Cup. At what point does this begin to rub him up the wrong way? And how confident must Alonso be in his own authority if he’s willing to make these decisions?
Tighe: Dortmund gonna Dortmund. The gameclock reads 93 minutes and Borussia Dortmund are 4-2 up at Juventus on the opening night of this season’s Champions League. Hell of a result, right?
Wrong. And wrong in the most painfully Dortmund way possible.
In the next three minutes, they would contrive to concede twice and throw away two points. First, Ramy Bensebani tries to be a little too cute in the corner, gives the ball away, and seconds later Vlahovic has the ball in the net. A minute later, most of Dortmund’s team are caught upfield, allowing Juve to counter, Vlahovic to cross and Lloyd Kelly — yes, Lloyd Kelly — beat an offside trap that looked like it had been staggered on a mountain face and head home an unchallenged equaliser.
Even by BVB’s standards, this defied belief.
Laurens: I just love that Champions League football is back, and back with a bang. Tuesday and Wednesday were epic with the second half of Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund,, the drama at the Bernabéu, the newcomers’ performances, Arteta’s winning coaching, Liverpool’s late winner and Michael Olise‘s brilliance for Bayern against Chelsea.
We have seen amazing goals already like the ones from Karim Adeyemi (Dortmund vs. Juventus), Anouar Ait El Hadj (Union St.-Gilloise vs. PSV Eindhoven), Sondre Brunstad Fet (Bodo/Glimt vs. Slavia Prague), Yildiz (Juventus vs. Dortmund) and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG vs. Atalanta). We have had plenty of nutmegs — hello, Nicolas Pépé, Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke and Mastantuono! And we’ve had a proper keeper blunder (sorry to Villarreal‘s Luiz Júnior, for his error against Tottenham). And we still have more action to come on Thursday night with Kevin De Bruyne‘s return to the Etihad as Napoli visit Manchester City, an explosive Newcastle date with Barcelona at St. James’ Park and plenty more goals to come!
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said he is still working at the age of 85 and has “no moral right” to weigh in on the debate over whether political leaders should step aside after turning 75.
To a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop (working in public life), as he has turned 75, like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Pawar told reporters that “people in the BJP now say they have never said that leaders after the age of 75 should take a backseat”.
“Where have I stopped? I am 85 and have no moral right to comment,” the NCP (SP) chief further said when asked about the age debate, a day after PM Modi turned 75.
The former Union minister also said the Maharashtra government should give more time to mitigate the hardships of farmers, who have been facing huge crop losses due to heavy rains.
Pawar stresses on social unity amid Gazette-driven demands by multiple communities
Earlier, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that if every community bases its demands on the Hyderabad Gazette, unity among communities will be difficult to achieve, reported PTI.
Speaking to reporters in Pune on the sidelines of a governing council meeting at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pawar questioned the state government`s decision to form two separate committees — one for Marathas and another for OBCs, reported PTI.
There should be no compromise on social unity, and if any political price needs to be paid, it should be paid, he asserted, reported PTI.
Various caste groups have contended that the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette to allow members of the Maratha community to get OBC Kunbi caste certificates would greatly impact SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes.
The Maharashtra government earlier this month set up a nine-member cabinet sub-committee to expedite the welfare measures for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and resolve issues related to reservation.
The move came after activist Manoj Jarange called off his five-day-long hunger strike in Mumbai, with the state government accepting most of his demands, including granting eligible Marathas Kunbi caste certificates, which will make them eligible for reservation benefits available to the OBCs.
A cabinet sub-committee on Marathas was formed in 2022 after the Supreme Court struck down a 2018 law granting quota to the community as unconstitutional, as the legislation breached the 50 per cent ceiling set by the apex court in 1992.
OBC leaders and organisations have been opposing the possible inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category for reservation purposes.
“Unfortunately, in the past few days, restlessness has been increasing in Marathwada among different communities, which is why I said the social fabric is weakening. Every day, new demands are being raised. Two days back, the Banjara community protested for inclusion in the ST category, while the next day Adivasis staged protests opposing such inclusion,” Pawar said, reported PTI.
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said he is still working at the age of 85 and has “no moral right” to weigh in on the debate over whether political leaders should step aside after turning 75.
To a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop (working in public life), as he has turned 75, like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Pawar told reporters that “people in the BJP now say they have never said that leaders after the age of 75 should take a backseat”.
“Where have I stopped? I am 85 and have no moral right to comment,” the NCP (SP) chief further said when asked about the age debate, a day after PM Modi turned 75.
The former Union minister also said the Maharashtra government should give more time to mitigate the hardships of farmers, who have been facing huge crop losses due to heavy rains.
Pawar stresses on social unity amid Gazette-driven demands by multiple communities
Earlier, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that if every community bases its demands on the Hyderabad Gazette, unity among communities will be difficult to achieve, reported PTI.
Speaking to reporters in Pune on the sidelines of a governing council meeting at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pawar questioned the state government`s decision to form two separate committees — one for Marathas and another for OBCs, reported PTI.
There should be no compromise on social unity, and if any political price needs to be paid, it should be paid, he asserted, reported PTI.
Various caste groups have contended that the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette to allow members of the Maratha community to get OBC Kunbi caste certificates would greatly impact SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes.
The Maharashtra government earlier this month set up a nine-member cabinet sub-committee to expedite the welfare measures for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and resolve issues related to reservation.
The move came after activist Manoj Jarange called off his five-day-long hunger strike in Mumbai, with the state government accepting most of his demands, including granting eligible Marathas Kunbi caste certificates, which will make them eligible for reservation benefits available to the OBCs.
A cabinet sub-committee on Marathas was formed in 2022 after the Supreme Court struck down a 2018 law granting quota to the community as unconstitutional, as the legislation breached the 50 per cent ceiling set by the apex court in 1992.
OBC leaders and organisations have been opposing the possible inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category for reservation purposes.
“Unfortunately, in the past few days, restlessness has been increasing in Marathwada among different communities, which is why I said the social fabric is weakening. Every day, new demands are being raised. Two days back, the Banjara community protested for inclusion in the ST category, while the next day Adivasis staged protests opposing such inclusion,” Pawar said, reported PTI.
NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said he is still working at the age of 85 and has “no moral right” to weigh in on the debate over whether political leaders should step aside after turning 75.
To a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop (working in public life), as he has turned 75, like LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Pawar told reporters that “people in the BJP now say they have never said that leaders after the age of 75 should take a backseat”.
“Where have I stopped? I am 85 and have no moral right to comment,” the NCP (SP) chief further said when asked about the age debate, a day after PM Modi turned 75.
The former Union minister also said the Maharashtra government should give more time to mitigate the hardships of farmers, who have been facing huge crop losses due to heavy rains.
Pawar stresses on social unity amid Gazette-driven demands by multiple communities
Earlier, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that if every community bases its demands on the Hyderabad Gazette, unity among communities will be difficult to achieve, reported PTI.
Speaking to reporters in Pune on the sidelines of a governing council meeting at the Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Pawar questioned the state government`s decision to form two separate committees — one for Marathas and another for OBCs, reported PTI.
There should be no compromise on social unity, and if any political price needs to be paid, it should be paid, he asserted, reported PTI.
Various caste groups have contended that the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette to allow members of the Maratha community to get OBC Kunbi caste certificates would greatly impact SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes.
The Maharashtra government earlier this month set up a nine-member cabinet sub-committee to expedite the welfare measures for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and resolve issues related to reservation.
The move came after activist Manoj Jarange called off his five-day-long hunger strike in Mumbai, with the state government accepting most of his demands, including granting eligible Marathas Kunbi caste certificates, which will make them eligible for reservation benefits available to the OBCs.
A cabinet sub-committee on Marathas was formed in 2022 after the Supreme Court struck down a 2018 law granting quota to the community as unconstitutional, as the legislation breached the 50 per cent ceiling set by the apex court in 1992.
OBC leaders and organisations have been opposing the possible inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category for reservation purposes.
“Unfortunately, in the past few days, restlessness has been increasing in Marathwada among different communities, which is why I said the social fabric is weakening. Every day, new demands are being raised. Two days back, the Banjara community protested for inclusion in the ST category, while the next day Adivasis staged protests opposing such inclusion,” Pawar said, reported PTI.
Do Arsenal have the squad/talent/depth to finally win the Champions League this year?
