Congress has warned that agitation on issues affecting the OBC group will be launched across the state

In a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, the Congress party, which shares power in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the Shiv Sena and the NCP, warned that if the government did not give justice to the Other Backward Class (OBC) community, it would launch a state-wide OBC Akrosh Aandolan. Patole's warning came at a time when the state administration was fighting the Supreme Court to restore a 27 percent political reservation for OBCs in civic and local governments that had been repealed.

 

Patole's threat comes after he and several other party leaders claimed that despite a letter from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and reminders from state leaders to the CM and the state government, the state government has failed to address social, educational and financial issues faced by OBCs in the state.

 

Patole's threat came only days after the BJP accused the MVA government of murdering the state's OBC reservation. Patole has attached a letter from Bhanudas Mali, the state Congress party's OBC cell chairman, demanding that the upcoming civic and local body elections in Maharashtra include an OBC quota. Furthermore, Mali has stated that the construction of 72 hostels for OBC students has yet to be completed. Furthermore, OBCs should be given priority in government recruitment.

 

 

Image Courtesy: Twitter @NANA_PATOLE