Mumbai, Apr 14 (PTI) Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi president Prakash Ambedkar on Tuesday claimed that the Justice Badar committee’s report on sub-classification within Scheduled Castes “consolidates” the communities which have already progressed, and demanded that it be made public.
The report, submitted nearly a month ago, is yet to be published even though the government has invited objections and opinions.
“It appears that instead of giving justice, the report consolidates those who have already made progress and excludes others,” said Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, at a press conference.
The Maharashtra government formed a committee under Justice (retd) Anant Badar in 2024 following a Supreme Court ruling which allowed states to create sub-categories within the SC category.
Ambedkar sought to know whether the committee spoke to all stake-holders, and said that if the report was not based on a scientific study, it could lead to rifts between castes and create social tensions. The committee should have taken help from institutes like the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Statistical Survey of India, he added.
The Karnataka government has conducted an exhaustive study in this matter, and Maharashtra should take a cue from it, Ambedkar said.
Meanwhile, Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat has extended the deadline for submitting statements, objections or opinions regarding the report to April 30 from the earlier April 15.
The single-member committee submitted its report on March 16. Another committee was then established under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary via a Government Resolution dated April 10, 2026, to invite objections, opinions, and statements on this report and to conduct hearings.
Shirsat, however, did not reply to a question about the report not being made public yet. Maharashtra Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggrawal did not reply to phone calls and a message seeking a reply.
In Maharashtra, neo-Buddhists have historically dominated the discourse around SC politics. The proposed sub-categorisation is being seen by some observers as the BJP-led government’s attempt to consolidate support among Hindu SC communities. PTI PR ND KRK
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