Now Reading: Rajasthan OBC panel report estimates 43% population, sparks row
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Rajasthan OBC panel report estimates 43% population, sparks row
Rajasthan's OBC Political Representation Commission, headed by retired judge Madan Lal Bhati, submitted its over-900-page report to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma over a week ago, but it remains unreleased. Sources say…
The Story in Brief
Rajasthan's OBC Political Representation Commission, headed by retired judge Madan Lal Bhati, submitted its over-900-page report to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma over a week ago, but it remains unreleased. Sources say the commission estimates the state's OBC population at 43% (3.59 crore), down from the 52% estimated in 2019. The report, meant to fulfil the Supreme Court's 'triple test' for OBC reservation in local body elections, found only 11 of 92 OBC castes have significant political representation. The Jat Mahasabha and Gurjar leaders dispute the figures, claiming underestimation. Rashtriya Loktantrik Party MP Hanuman Beniwal and community organisations have warned of statewide agitation if discrepancies are not corrected. Congress has demanded the full report be made public.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides are jumping to conclusions before the report is even public. Opposition cries of a BJP-RSS plot to shrink OBC quotas ignore that the commission was set up under court orders. Yet community leaders who dismiss the 43% figure as a deliberate underestimate also lack evidence. The real test will come when the government releases the full report: will the data withstand independent scrutiny, or will it confirm the gaps community groups allege?
Source: newindianexpress.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
