Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday said it will begin hearing from Tuesday the petitions filed both in support of and against the Maharashtra government’s ordinance granting Marathas reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The ordinance, issued on September 2, has reignited a long-standing and emotionally charged debate over caste-based quotas in the state.
A division bench of Chief Justice Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad held a preliminary hearing, during which it noted several technical errors in the petitions filed against the government’s move. The court gave the petitioners time till Monday evening to file corrected versions. “Some of the demands were not in the correct form, so the court has allowed us to make necessary revisions,” one of the lawyers representing the petitioners said.
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The bench also took note of several intervention petitions filed in support of the state government’s decision, according to report by Loksatta. The judges made it clear that any additional intervention or revision petitions must be filed immediately, as no new ones will be entertained once the hearing begins. The court is expected to announce at 3 pm whether the hearings will start on Tuesday or be deferred to next week, as sought by the state government.
The petitions filed by organisations, including Kunbi Seva Sanstha, Maharashtra Mali Samaj Mahasangh, Ahir Suvarnakar Samaj Sanstha, Sadanand Mandlik, and Maharashtra Nabhik Mahasangh, argue that extending OBC quota benefits to Marathas will dilute existing reservations and harm other backward communities.
The issue has taken a tragic turn, with seven people reportedly dying by suicide since the ordinance was issued. Petitioners had therefore sought an urgent hearing, citing the growing tension and human cost of the ongoing crisis.
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