Marathas reservation: Maharashtra Govt to approach SC, says Fadnavis

Mumbai, Nov 14: Maharashtra government has decided to approach the Supreme Court after the Bombay High Court stayed the decision to give 16 per cent reservation to Marathas in public service and educational institutions, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here today.

"The state government is fully supportive of Maratha quota. We will appeal in SC on the HC ruling. We will take measures to ensure that the quota remains," Fadnavis told reporters on the sidelines of an event in suburban Vile Parle.

"If the court has pointed out any discrepancy in law, we will remove any lacunae in law during the winter session of the State Legislature in Nagpur," the chief minister said. The session begins on December 8.

"It is this government's commitment that the reservation for Maratha community remains," Fadnavis said. NCP was critical of the BJP government's stand in court on the issue of Maratha reservations.

"This government did not present the case in a proper manner in HC," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said. "The ruling highlights the failure on part of the new regime to protect the quota decision of the Congress-NCP government," he added.

Shiv Sena sought an explanation from the BJP government for its "failure" to protect the Maratha quota in court. "The government should explain why was it unsuccessful in protecting the reservations in court," senior Sena leader Diwakar Raote said here.

"The picture now is that the reservation was brought only for the sake of Muslims. Minorities Affairs minister Eknath Khadse should tell people what discrepancies remained in convincing the court of the government's commitment to provide quota for Marathas," he said.

Meanwhile, Khadse said BJP was "supportive of the provision of reservations for Marathas." "We will make all efforts in the SC to uphold the quota decision by the state government," Khadse said.

PTI