In a special one-day session, the Maharashtra state assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the Maratha Reservation bill, which gives 10% reservation to the community in government jobs and education.
The bill was first ratified by the state cabinet, and was later tabled by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in the lower house and then in the upper house. While introducing the bill, Shinde said, “This time, the emphasis is on trying to remove the errors pointed out by the Supreme Court while abolishing reservation. The government is making sincere efforts to bring the Maratha community within the framework of the reservation law in a step-by-step manner, in which we are working vigorously and completing the legal process."
He further assured the house: “The government has taken a big step to ensure that the Maratha community gets a reservation that is sustainable and within the framework of the law. Now the state government is going to use all its power to ensure that it survives in the apex court. We have taken this decision to give reservation to Maratha community without affecting the reservation of OBC community."
The report submitted by the State Backward Class Commission to the state government mentioned that the Maratha community is 28% of the population, and in the state, there is a situation where reservation beyond 50% could be given. Hence, the state passed the bill.
STILL NEED KUNBI IDENTITY: JARANGE PATIL
Although Maratha community leader Manoj Jarange Patil has approved this reservation, he criticised the state for not giving reservation as per the demands of the community. “Provide us reservation under the Kunbi identity and those who can’t provide proof, pass a law for ‘Sage Soyare’."
Patil had demanded that blood relations be allowed to have Kunbi registration. Kunbi caste falls under OBC in the state. Hence, Patil was pushing that the Maratha community should get reservations under OBC quota. But those Maratha families who have Nizam-era documents are only getting the benefit of the OBC quota. Jarange has called for a meeting of the Maratha community on Wednesday in which this issue will discussed further.
WON’T STAND IN SUPREME COURT: OPPN
Although the bill was passed unanimously in both the houses of the assembly, opposition MLAs have expressed their displeasure. Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar told this reporter, “Today, we were not given an opportunity to talk on this bill in the house. We could have criticised them on the floor of the house for again misleading the entire Maratha community over 10% reservation. This reservation will not stand in the Supreme Court and we wanted to point out the same, but we were not given an opportunity. There is no basis to the reservation given by this government today, hence it won’t stand in the Supreme Court."
Former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan, while speaking with the media, said, “In 2014, my government passed the bill, but it was rejected in the HC. Later, the Fadnavis government passed it in 2018, but it couldn’t sustain before the SC. Now 10% reservation has been given. We will have to see how it will stand legal scrutiny."
He also criticised the govt for not considering the Opposition while making this bill. “Why was the Opposition not considered? Why are you so afraid and what are you hiding? We should have been given a copy of the bill, but it was passed in haste on the apprehension of Lok Sabha polls."
Chavan called it an “election gimmick" of the current government, just to show that they have done something for people.
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