Nagpur, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Saturday announced a large-scale agitation culminating in a ‘Chalo Delhi’ march on November 1 to intensify the demand for a separate Other Backward Classes (OBC) column in the upcoming nationwide caste-based census.
The strategy was finalised during a Vidarbha-level meeting of OBC leaders, office-bearers and prominent activists in Nagpur, where long-standing concerns of the community were discussed.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Wadettiwar, a Congress Legislature Party leader in the Maharashtra Assembly, said a dedicated column for OBCs in the caste census was essential.
“Our demand is explicit: there must be a caste-wise census with a dedicated column for OBCs. The government’s current decisions regarding the census process have sparked widespread discontent within the OBC community. If the true population of OBCs is not accurately documented, issues surrounding their political representation and reservation benefits will become increasingly severe,” he said.
Wadettiwar said a preliminary meeting involving nearly 65 OBC organisations from across the country was held in Delhi on September 13, following which a phased nationwide agitation programme was announced.
Under the programme, taluka-level Satyagrahas, or peaceful protests, will be organised on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti. District-level protest marches will be held across Maharashtra on October 25, followed by the ‘Chalo Delhi’ rally on November 1.
He said the exact framework for the Delhi demonstration would be finalised in consultation with allied organisations from across the country.
Wadettiwar also raised concerns over student welfare and government support for marginalised communities. He accused the Maharashtra government of delaying the allocation of funds to autonomous institutions such as Mahajyoti and BARTI.
He urged the government to release funds in proportion to the population and ensure the timely disbursement of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships.
On the ongoing debate over Maratha reservation in Maharashtra, Wadettiwar said the OBC community opposed any dilution of its existing quota.
“The government should not slice away rights from one community to satisfy another. If the government wants to grant reservation to any group, it should do so independently. Do not allocate any portion of the OBC quota to others. If our constitutional rights are encroached upon, we will not sit quietly,” he said.
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