Maharashtra govt committed to grant quota to Maratha community which will pass legal test: Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. File Pic

The Maharashtra government is committed to granting reservation to the Maratha community but will have to ensure that the allocation stands the legal and constitutional scrutiny, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday, reported news agency PTI.

Devendra Fadnavis' assurance comes on the eve of the expiry of an ultimatum given by activist Manoj Jarange to the government for declaring a quota for Marathas under the OBC category, reported PTI.

The senior BJP leader also said a hurried decision on granting a quota in education and government jobs may be struck down by the Supreme Court, reported PTI.

"Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has stressed that the government wants to give the reservation to the Maratha community which will pass the legal and constitutional tests. Suppose a decision to award reservation in education and government jobs is taken hurriedly, in that case, the court will strike it down, and the state will face the criticism of cheating the community," Devendra Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

When asked about the demand of the Maratha Kranti Morcha for restructuring the state Backward Classes Commission, he said CM Shinde will definitely take a decision on this front.

If some vacancies are to be filled, we will do it, he added.

"In the past, our government had given the reservation (to Marathas) that was upheld by the Bombay High Court. Maharashtra was the only state after Tamil Nadu where the HC had upheld the reservation granted by the state," Devendra Fadnavis said.

The former chief minister said the apex court never issued a stay order on the reservation given to the Maratha community when the BJP-led government was in power in Maharashtra (from 2014 to 2019), reported PTI.

"But I do not want to indulge in politics over what happened later (when Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA was at the helm from November 2019 to June 2022). Our government is committed to issuing the reservation to the Maratha community. We will get it done," Fadnavis added.

A day earlier, Manoj Jarange had said he would launch a fast-unto-death protest from October 25 if the government fails to grant quota to the Maratha community by Tuesday.

Jarange also said the Maratha community would not let political leaders, including MPs and MLAs, enter villages across the state until the reservation demand is met.

The Maratha quota issue took centre stage in Maharashtra politics after some people supporting Jarange during his hunger strike protest in September were allegedly lathi-charged by police at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district.

(With inputs from PTI)