Maratha community hopeful after Centre files review petition

MUMBAI: The decision of filing a review petition in the Supreme Court (SC) has revived the hopes of the members of Maratha community.

Maratha community outfits have welcomed the step by the Centre, which has filed a review petition in the SC challenging its verdict over the 102nd Constitutional amendment saying that the amendment has done away with the powers of the state concerning the reservation.

“If the top court accepts the Centre’s stand that the power is still with the state, it will open a window for the revival of the reservation. The five-judge bench had quashed the reservation questioning the Gaikwad commission report and also upheld Indra Sawhney judgment’s spirit of not crossing 50% of the cap on the reservation. The report can be still be revised and the reservation can always be accommodated within 50% limit if the SC rules that states have powers. The review petition is a great sigh of relief for us,” said Virendra Pawar of Maratha Kranti Morcha.

Public works department minister and head of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation Ashok Chavan has demanded that the Centre should also file a review petition in SC for its verdict on 50% cap.

“To save the reservations given by many states by crossing the limit of 50%, the ruling on Indra Sawhney verdict too should be challenged. The Centre should file a review petition over it too. We had pleaded with the Centre on both these aspects even before the final hearing on the reservation began. We are happy that the review petition has come immediately after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led delegation of Maharashtra government met the Governor on Tuesday,” he said.

Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The Centre had time and again clarified that the state government’s powers to give reservation were intact and had said this in SC too. The review petition is a reiteration of the stand. A twojudge bench had earlier admitted the stand by the Centre. I am happy that the Central government moved a review petition,” he said.

Maratha community outfits have welcomed the step by the Centre.