Ajit Pawar's NCP slams ally CM Eknath Shinde's 'eyewash' response to Maratha quota demand: ‘Birth decides caste, not…’

livemint.com:

Maratha Quota Row: As Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde agreed to the demands of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil, ally in Maharashtra government Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal tore into the state calling it a mere “eyewash". Bhujbal, who is the minister for food and civil supplies in the Maharashtra government questioned the “backdoor entry" of Marathas into the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community. On Saturday, 27 January, Jarange Patil called off his protest as the Maharashtra government responded to the demands with a draft ordinance regarding reservation in education and jobs under the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category.

Shinde offered the activist juice to end his indefinite hunger strike. Following the developments, Bhujbal termed the draft notification issued by the state government providing Kunbi certificates to all Marathas as a mere "eyewash", and said caste is determined by birth and not affidavits. Chaggan Bhujbal, an OBC leader, remarked “birth decides caste".

Maharashtra government issued a draft notification this morning to recognise as Kunbis all blood relatives of the Maratha community members whose Kunbi caste records have been found. Kunbi, an agrarian community, falls in the OBC category. Manoj Jarange had been demanding Kunbi certificates for all Marathas.