Congress announces 1 November Delhi march for separate OBC census column
Vijay Wadettiwar sets out a phased protest plan and raises concerns over scholarships and the protection of the OBC quota
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has announced a ‘Chalo Delhi’ protest on 1 November to demand a separate OBC column in the upcoming caste census.
The campaign will begin with taluka-level satyagrahas on 2 October, followed by district-level marches on 25 October.
Wadettiwar also called for timely scholarship payments and said the existing OBC reservation quota must not be reduced.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday announced a ‘Chalo Delhi’ protest for 1 November to press for a separate Other Backward Classes (OBC) column in the upcoming nationwide caste census.
Speaking after a meeting of OBC leaders and organisations in Nagpur, Wadettiwar said a distinct column was necessary to establish the community’s population accurately. Without reliable figures, he argued, questions over political representation and reservation benefits would become harder to address.
The planned march will follow taluka-level satyagrahas on 2 October and district-level protest marches on 25 October. Wadettiwar said the Delhi programme would be finalised in consultation with organisations elsewhere in the country. Representatives of nearly 65 OBC organisations had held an earlier meeting in Delhi on 13 September.
Wadettiwar also accused the Maharashtra government of delaying funds for institutions serving marginalised communities, including Mahajyoti and BARTI. He called for funding linked to population and the timely payment of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships.
On the debate over Maratha reservation, he said the government should not grant benefits to another community by reducing the existing OBC quota. Any additional reservation, he argued, should be provided separately.
With IANS inputs