Days after the Supreme Court struck down Maratha Reservation, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray led a delegation of senior ministers on Tuesday met Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari and submitted a letter addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his intervention for providing quota to the community.
Thackeray has urged for an appropriate step be taken, albeit in accordance with law, declared by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, to identify and declare Maratha community as Socially and Educational Backward Class (SEBC) to enable them to claim the reservation in education and public employment at least to the extent of 12% and 13% respectively. The CM has sent similar letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention on providing reservation to the Maratha community.
Thackeray in his letter said, “There is no doubt that our State is of the view that despite the 102nd Constitutional Amendment, our State continues to have power, authority and jurisdiction to identify the Maratha community as the SEBC. However, at this stage, such understanding of my State pales into insignificance, in view of the aforesaid authoritative pronouncement of law made by the Hon'ble Supreme Court.”
“Following the Supreme Court's decision of rejecting the Maratha reservation, we all decided to make a request to the Centre in this regard, and accordingly, we have met the Governor today and have taken the first step,” said Thackeray. “The Governor has listened to us and will convey our sentiments to the Centre,” he added.
He said he would also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon over the issue. CM took a swipe at leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis saying that had the SEBC Act, 2018 proposing Maratha quota would have been fool proof then the apex court would not have rejected it.
The government has also urged the community to exercise restraint, asking it to not do anything that would put the police in further stress amid the coronavirus outbreak.
State minister and senior Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde said the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was committed to reservations for the Maratha community.
Govt forms panel to study SC order: The Maharashtra Government on Tuesday set up a eight member committee headed by retired judge Dilip Bhosale to study the Supreme Court order that struck down a state law granting quota to Marathas in admissions and government jobs, terming the statute as “unconstitutional”. The committee will also recommend the future course of action to be taken by the state government. The committee has been asked to submit a report by May 31.
