In a pointed critique, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of inciting divisions among the country's marginalised communities. Owaisi's remarks come in the wake of protests by OBC groups in Maharashtra's Beed district, where demonstrators burned tyres on national highways to oppose the allocation of Maratha reservation from the OBC quota.
In an X post, Owaisi said, "During the elections, Modi used to say that the reservation of OBC, SC, ST community is under threat from Muslims. Today, there is tension between OBC and the Maratha community regarding reservation because the limit of reservation has been limited to 50%."
"Minorities, backward and extremely backward people of India are being made to fight for dry bread and someone else is eating the cream. The 400-plus government should bring an amendment in the upcoming parliamentary session to abolish the 50% cap," he said.
The Patna High Court annulled the decision to increase reservations in Bihar's government jobs and educational institutions from 50 per cent to 65 per cent. Following this, the issue of Maratha and OBC reservations in Maharashtra gained momentum. OBC groups are opposing the implementation of Manoj Jarange's draft notification.
On June 21, in Maharashtra's Marathawad region, an altercation occurred between OBC activist KLaxman Heke, who began an indefinite hunger strike and Maratha reservation activist Manoh Jarange-Patil over the reservation issue and OBC protests.
Manoj Jarange accused the Maharashtra government of trying to create tension between the Maratha and OBC communities, He claimed that there are 8-9 persons in the government who "hate" the Maratha community and their names will be revealed at the "right" time.
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