MARATHA LEADERS, OPPN DEMAND THAT COMMUNITY BE INCLUDED AS OBC
Leaders from the Maratha community, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on quashing reservations to them, have demanded to review the court’s decision before the larger bench. The community leaders have also demanded to tap the possibility of the inclusion of Marathas in the Other Backward Class.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray convened an urgent meeting of the senior ministers and the senior counsels to deliberate on the further course of action.
The Opposition has slammed the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government for their alleged failure in representing the community with full vigour.
Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that the state government extend the facilities and benefits given under the quota to the community with immediate effect. “BJP-led government had succeeded in keeping the reservation in-tact by fighting the legal battle in the court... but the existing state government failed in pleading it effectively in the apex court. Now we want all the benefits of the reservation be extended to the community with immediate effect,” said BJP leader Ashish Shelar.
Leaders from Maratha community, in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling on quashing reservations to them, have demanded to review the court’s decision before the larger bench. The community leaders have also demanded to tap the possibility of the inclusion of Marathas in the Other Backward Class.
The apex court on Wednesday struck down the 12 and 13 % reservation given to the Maratha community by enacting special law in 2018. The apex court has turned down the State Backward Class Commission’s report that established the backwardness of the Maratha community and recommended the reservation in ‘extraordinary and exceptional’ condition.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray convened an urgent meeting of the senior ministers and the senior counsels to deliberate on the further course of action.
Opposition has slammed the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government for their alleged failure in representing the community with full vigour. Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that the state government should extend the facilities and benefits given under the quota to the community with immediate effect. “BJP-led government had succeeded in keeping the reservation in-tact by fighting the legal
battle in the court and proving that the reservation was given in exception and extraordinary situation. but the existing state government failed in pleading it effectively in the apex court. Now we want all the benefits of the reservation be extended to the community with immediate effect. The BJP will support all such efforts by the government without touching the reservation to the OBCs,” said BJP leader Ashish Shelar.
Some of the community leaders have demanded that the state government should tap the possibility of inclusion of Maratha community in OBC. Vinod Patil, one of the petitioners for the Maratha reservation, said that the government should file review petition.
“We still have the scope of review before the larger bench as the five-judge bench has not squashed the reservation given
to the medical students till September 2020 . This has left room for the appeal before the larger bench,” he said.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil had demanded for a special session of state legislature to discuss on the reservation issue.
BJP MP and community leader Sambhaji Chhatrapati has appealed the community members to maintain restrain from any harsh reaction on the Supreme Court ruling.
“Both the state government, the existing MVA as well as previous Fadnavis government have done their best to maintain the reservation to the Marathas. We cannot comment on the apex court’s ruling, but now it is for the state government to take steps to ensure that community is given their dues by taking steps possible,” he said.