No quota, give us benefits now, demand Marathas; SC refuses to lift stay, hearing on January 25

With the Supreme Court’s refusal on Wednesday to lift the stay on the Maratha quota likely to delay the admission and recruitment process, the community as well

With the Supreme Court’s refusal on Wednesday to lift the stay on the Maratha quota likely to delay the admission and recruitment process, the community as well the Opposition want the reservation benefits to be extended with immediate effect. The Opposition has even alleged laxity in the state government’s approach while representing the case in the Apex Court.

Maratha Kranti Morcha workers staged a protest against the Supreme Court's stay on Maratha reservation in September. (HT Photo)

Under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, Marathas have been promised a reservation of 12% and 13% in jobs and admissions, respectively. The reservation was stayed by a three-judge bench of the Apex court on September 9. During its first hearing before the constitution bench of the SC on Wednesday, the state government and community leaders were expecting the stay to be lifted. The SC, however, posted the hearing for January 25.

Until a decision from the SC, Marathas want a supernumerary quota in jobs to accommodate members of the community in government jobs, scholarships and freeships to students for fee waiver, financial provisions for institutes meant for the welfare of the community and aid for enterprising ventures by youths.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Maharashtra chief Chandrakant Patil alleged, “None of the ministers or the advocate general of the state were present for the hearing. In the absence of a proper study and preparations, the Apex court denied to hear the plea. The state government did not even ask for permission to exempt college admissions and recruitments completed in the rounds before the reservation was stayed. The government has disappointed the community. We expect the Thackeray government to at least extend the benefits applicable to OBCs to the Maratha community. Our government gave scholarships and other benefits to Marathas, when the reservation plea was pending in the Bombay high court.” BJP MP and Maratha leader Sambhaji Chhatrapati has said it would be a challenge to effectively argue on the reservation as the three judges who stayed reservation are part of the constitutional bench of five judges.

Sachin Sawant, Maharashtra Congress general secretary and spokesperson, said, “The state government has left no stone unturned in the preparations required for the legal battle. The cabinet sub-committee held several rounds of meetings. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray reviewed it regularly. The process of hearing has begun and we will soon get expected results. The Opposition is criticising the government for the sake of politics.”