Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today affirmed that the BJP-led government in the state is committed to providing reservation to the agitating Maratha community and taking the ongoing legal battle over the issue to its logical conclusion.
"There is a commitment and resolve towards providing reservation to the Maratha community," Fadnavis told the state Assembly while winding up a marathon debate on the issue.
The chief minister, who spoke for about two hours, said the government was prepared to take the legal battle to the logical end, with senior lawyer Harish Salve representing it in the Bombay High Court on the issue.
"Salve will not charge a single rupee to fight the case," Fadnavis said, adding that he would be assisted by a team of prominent lawyers, including Vijay Singh Thakur, Ravi Kadam, V A Kadam and S Pingle.
The Maratha community, an influential segment in the state, has been holding "silent" marches to press for its demands of stern action against the culprits of Kopardi rape and murder case, reservations for the community and scrapping of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The campaign has generated tremendous response from the numercially strong community with large number of women joining the movement across the state.
In the run-up to the 2014 Assembly polls, the previous Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance allowing 16 per cent reservation for Marathas and 5 per cent for Muslims in government-run schools and colleges as well as jobs.
"The government has already filed a comprehensive affidavit in the Bombay High Court strongly pleading for reservation to the Maratha community," Fadnavis said.
Two days back, the HC said it would commence in February 2017, the final hearing on a bunch of petitions challenging government's decision to grant 16 per cent reservation to the Marathas.
The petitions had opposed the then Congress-NCP regime's 2014 decision to grant reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to the Maratha community.
"The Marathas had enjoyed the reservation facility till 1965, which was suddenly revoked by the past government," Fadnavis claimed, adding, "Even the Bapat Commission was not in favour of reservation."
Fadnavis, however, asserted that the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1988, will not be diluted as being demanded by the Maratha community, though the Government would not allow its misuse. "No true followers of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar will misuse it," he said.
Fadnavis added that reservation to Muslim community was scrapped on the basis of religion, but about 50 sub-castes of the community will continue to get the benefit.
In March 2015, the state had scrapped an ordinance providing 5 per cent reservation for Muslims, despite the HC allowing quota for the community in educational institutions.
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