Maratha outfits put forth six demands; govt urges them to call off agitation

A day after Maratha community outfits launched silent marches to push for reservation for the community, Maharashtra government held a marathon meeting with their leaders on Thursday and requested them to call off the agitation

A day after Maratha community outfits launched silent marches to push for reservation for the community, Maharashtra government held a marathon meeting with their leaders on Thursday and requested them to call off the agitation. The state assured that a review petition will be filed in the Supreme Court within a week to challenge the Apex court’s May 5 verdict scrapping the Maratha quota in government jobs and education. The outfits have decided to take a call on the government appeal on Monday at Nashik, and insisted that the agitation has not yet been called off.

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The delegation representing Maratha outfits led by Rajya Sabha MP Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati held the meeting with chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray, deputy CM Ajit Pawar, public works minister and cabinet sub-committee head Ashok Chavan, at Sahyadri guest house on Thursday evening.

The delegation put forth six demands for immediate compliance to give respite to the community on legal and administrative grounds. Sambhajiraje said that the state has positively admitted to comply with all the demands and has also appointed a committee for their compliance on war footing.

The outfits have demanded review petition in the Supreme Court against its verdict quashing quota to Marathas in jobs and education. They have also demanded to simultaneously approach the Central government to accord reservation to Marathas through the central list of backward classes under article 338(B) and 342 (A). They also demanded for strengthening of SARTHI, an institute formed to ensure educational and social well-being of the Maratha youth and hostel for the community youth in every district.

The leaders also demanded financial allotment of ₹1,000 crore for Annasaheb Patil Backward Financial Development Corporation which finances Maratha youth for entrepreneurial ventures. The community has also sought immediate appointment of the community candidates who have been selected for the jobs but weren’t given letters before the quota was quashed.

The delegation also pushed to expedite the Kopardi rape case proceedings to ensure conviction of the accused. They have also sought withdrawal of cases against community members during protest march in 2017-18.

Sambhajiraje said the government reacted positively to their demands. “Though we have about 18 demands, we have prioritised six of them. We have been told by the government that the review petition will be filed by next Thursday while the Central government has already been requested for the steps for reservation using its powers. Barring one, 149 cases against our protesters will be withdrawn in the next few days by complying with the legal procedure. We have also been assured appointments to our youth at the earliest. The deputy CM is holding a meeting in Pune on Saturday to take required decisions related to SARTHI,” he said.

The MP also said that despite the positive response from the government, they were not calling off their agitation. “We have resolved to hold silent marches in all 36 districts and the second one of them is in Nashik on June 21 after launching it in Kolhapur on Wednesday. The state government has requested us to call off the agitation. The call on their request would be taken in a meeting with all organisers representing all outfits on June 21 in Nashik,” he said.

He also said that the government has appointed a coordination committee under principal secretary Vikas Kharge to look into the compliance of the assurances on daily basis.

Ashok Chavan, who heads the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation, said the government has already started taking steps on some of the demands put up by the outfits. “The CM has also constituted a special committee to ensure speedy compliance of the demands. We have already met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the Centre to initiate the process of giving quota to Marathas using their constitutional powers. CM Thackeray has requested the outfits to withdraw their ongoing agitation and we expect their positive response,” he said.

The Supreme Court on May 5 quashed 12% and 13% quota given to Marathas in education and jobs under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018. The court had said that the quota breached the 50% cap of reservation laid down in Indra Sawhney case in 1992 and also stated that the community does not comply with the conditions of backwardness. The five-judge bench had also stated that the states do not have right to decide quota after the 102nd constitutional amendment in August 2018.