Internal tensions have flared within Maharashtra's Maha Yuti government concerning the contentious issue of Maratha and OBC reservations. This dispute came to a head when veteran OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal conspicuously skipped a weekly Cabinet meeting, a day after the state government approved the Maratha community's demand for reservation under the OBC category. This decision, predicated on the implementation of the Hyderabad Gazette, has ignited strong criticism and widespread unrest among OBC communities, who fear the dilution of their existing quota.

In response to the escalating grievances, the state government moved to form a nine-member Cabinet sub-committee. This panel, led by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, is tasked with examining the social, educational, and financial status of the OBC community, reviewing existing welfare schemes, and ensuring fair representation in state services. Key members include Chhagan Bhujbal, Ganesh Naik, Gulabrao Patil, Sanjay Rathod, Pankaja Munde, Atul Save, and Dattatray Bharne, with the secretary of the OBC department serving as member-secretary. The committee's mandate also explicitly includes deliberating with protesting OBC leaders to resolve their concerns.

OBC leaders had threatened large-scale protests if their quota was compromised. The Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh initiated a chain hunger strike in Nagpur, following Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's indefinite fast in Mumbai demanding OBC-category reservation for Marathas through the Hyderabad Gazette. Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent OBC figure, publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with the government's handling of Maratha demands and warned of a legal challenge against the Hyderabad Gazette GR, citing its ambiguous language. OBC leader Laxman Hake further intensified the protest by publicly tearing a copy of the GR, accusing the government of unconstitutional and illegal actions and warning of a political boycott against supporters of the Maratha quota.

Amidst this growing unrest, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stepped in to clarify the government's stance, assuring Chhagan Bhujbal that no blanket reservation had been granted to the Maratha community under the OBC category. He emphasized that the recent government resolutions (GRs) are strictly based on documentary evidence. Fadnavis stated that only genuine cases from the Marathwada region, who can prove their Kunbi lineage through records in the Hyderabad Gazette, would be eligible for Kunbi caste certificates. Kunbi caste is already part of the OBC category. He reiterated that the provision would not be misused and that efforts were underway to address all doubts raised by Bhujbal and other OBC leaders, stressing the government's commitment to inclusive progress for all communities.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule further affirmed that Kunbi certificates would be issued only to legally eligible Marathas as per the Hyderabad Gazette records, aiming to prevent conflict between the communities. Following these assurances and a meeting with OBC Welfare Minister Atul Save, the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh called off its chain hunger strike in Nagpur, signaling a partial de-escalation of the immediate protests, though underlying tensions regarding the reservation issue persist.