Overview

• The Bombay High Court dismissed a PIL by advocate Vinit Dhotre challenging the use of the 1918 Hyderabad Gazette to verify Kunbi lineage for Marathas, while multiple related petitions remain pending.
• The September 2 government resolution enables entries from the Gazette to serve as evidence for Kunbi caste certificates, with leaders insisting only verified applicants will qualify and the OBC quota will stay intact.
• Senior OBC leader and minister Chhagan Bhujbal urged withdrawal or amendment of the GR, warning it could undermine over 350 OBC communities, as the Congress’ Vijay Wadettiwar accused the move of reigniting Maratha–OBC tensions.
• Banjara groups mounted statewide protests pressing for Scheduled Tribe status citing Gazette records, with reports of an alleged suicide in Dharashiv and hunger strikes in Jalna, and additional demonstrations announced for late September.
• Dhangar and Koli organisations have renewed ST demands, and ministers signalled any reclassification would require central procedures, underscoring the legal and political sensitivities around the quota framework.