E-Paper
Maratha quota: BJP panel to review verdict; warns Maharashtra govt of stir
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formed a committee under its Maharashtra unit chief Chandrakant Patil to review the Maratha reservation verdict, stating that it was their bid to ensure that the community gets back the reservation that was struck down by Supreme Court (SC)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formed a committee under its Maharashtra unit chief Chandrakant Patil to review the Maratha reservation verdict, stating that it was their bid to ensure that the community gets back the reservation that was struck down by Supreme Court (SC). The committee comprises of leader of Opposition in legislative Council Pravin Darekar, Ashish Shelar and Narendra Patil, among others. Patil said that BJP was also appointing a committee of legal experts to “expose” MVA government over its faulty handling of the reservation case.
The party has also announced to support protests by the community and has warned the state government that the stir would be intensified once the second wave of Covid-19 subsides. Patil, after the first meeting of the expert committee on Sunday, said that the party would back Marathas with full strength.
“After the reservation was scrapped by the top court, the community has been feeling helpless. But our party will stand by them in full support. MVA government is expecting protests by the community to die down because of the pandemic and lockdown. BJP will support and participate in the protest without our banner or political agenda,” he said.
Blaming the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the “poor handling” of the reservation case in the Apex court, BJP leaders said that the 569-page SC judgment has pointed out to many loopholes left behind by the state government during the hearing.
“The Congress and NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) never intended to give the reservation to Marathas. Their government has systematically murdered the reservation given by the previous [BJP-led] Devendra Fadnavis government.
Our government could safeguard it in the Bombay high court and even for a long period, in SC too. It was because of the inept handling by MVA government that the reservation has been struck down,” Patil said.
He also demanded that the state government file a review petition in SC, requesting the Apex court a reconsideration of its verdict on the Gaikwad Commission report and 50% cap on reservation. He said that if the state government failed to do so, it will have to again attend the exercise of proving the backwardness of the community by constituting a new commission.
