Sharad Pawar fact-checks school certificate on social media, says it’s a fake

PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday trashed a document circulating on social media that lists him as belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC), saying it was a fake and that he couldn’t hide his caste.

“The whole world knows what my caste is,” Pawar told reporters on the sidelines of a Diwali gathering at his Baramati residence Govindbaug, his counter to the “fake” Secondary School Certificate (SSC) circulating on social media that listed him as an OBC.

He said a second document, a school leaving certificate, that listed his caste as a “Maratha” was genuine. “But some people circulated another document in English and my caste was mentioned as OBC. While I have full respect for OBCs, I cannot hide by caste at birth,” the 82-year-old Maratha strongman said.

Pawar said he didn’t use his caste for politics. “I have never used caste for politics and will never do so. At the same time, I will make all efforts to resolve the issues of the community, whatever steps are needed” he said.

Asked if the competing claims for reservation had led to hostility between OBCs and Marathas, Pawar said he didn’t feel that there were any issues between the two communities. “I feel there is no dispute between OBCs and Marathas. Some people are trying to create such an atmosphere. The issues of these communities need to be resolved – whether it is OBCs or Maratha,” he said.

There has been growing unease among people from the OBCs over Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s demand to include Marathas as OBCs to entitle them to quota benefits for admission to educational institutions and in public recruitment. Prominent OBC community leaders have called for a public rally on November 19 in Jalna district, saying the inclusion of Marathas among OBCs to enhance their share in reservations will hurt OBC communities.