What Uddhav Thackeray says on Maratha quota row

Maharashtra will again move the Supreme Court on the issue of Maratha quota, Thackeray said asking people to not agitate during the ongoing pandemic.

After the BJP blamed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for failing to defend Maratha reservation before the Supreme Court, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said the state government will move the Supreme Court again on the issue of reservation. Urging Marathis to not take to the streets, the CM said the government and the opposition, too, are fighting for the cause.

Do not organize protests on the issue of Maratha quota during Covid-19 pandemic, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said on Sunday. (PTI)

All recent developments on Maratha quota issue

* On September 9, the Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the 2018 Maratha quota law of the state and referred the petitions challenging the law to a larger constitution bench.

* The Supreme Court in its order said Marathis do not need reservation. The state government has not shown any “extraordinary situation” which warrants the reservation.

* In the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, Maratha community was declared as a socially and educational backward class.

* Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis blamed the state government for failing to present the case in front of the Apex Court. “Tamil Nadu and our situation is the same. Despite that, while referring to the constitutional bench, the apex court didn’t stay the reservation declared by them but in our case, it was stayed. We need to see where we lacked in explaining the case effectively before the apex court,” Fadnavis said.

* The Supreme Court verdict is a major set back for the MVA government, which presently has around 64-65% reservation, including 12-13% Maratha quota.