Mumbai: On Wednesday, Maharashtra government decided to approach Chief Justice Sharad Bobde with a request to form a Constitution bench to decide the validity of the Maratha reservation. This was done to restore the Maratha reservation ordinance.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray hold an all-party meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House to cogitate the government’s future strategy on the Maratha reservation issue after the Supreme Court on September 9 stayed the state’s act in this regard.
CM Thackeray said that the government is likely to take a call on approaching the SC by September 22. ‘We are discussing the matter with every stakeholder. We will announce a comprehensive decision in this regard in a day or two’.
CM calls out the SC verdict as “unexpected”, the government is thinking on how can the relief be provided to the Maratha community till the final SC verdict is out.
He further added, ‘It will be a long legal battle. The government is with the community. I appeal the community members not to protest as the government is listening to them’.
Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act (SEBC Act) of 2018 has a provision of 12 and 13 per cent reservation in educational institutes and government jobs, respectively, for the Maratha community. The total reservation along with Maratha Reservation sums up to be 64-65% over the 50% cap as prescribed by SC. As per the SC, the State has failed to make out a special case for providing reservation in excess of 50 per cent.
Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the government should revive the SARATHI institute founded by him to train the Maratha students for competitive examinations.
According to him, all the parties are clear that the community should get the benefits of the reservation. I don’t want to do politics in this matter.