The Maharashtra government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking vacation of its stay on the reservation to the people of the Maratha community in education and jobs in the state. The apex court had earlier this month directed that no quota will be granted to people of the Maratha community in education and jobs in the state this year and referred the hearing on a batch of plea challenging the constitutional validity of a Maharashtra law granting Maratha reservation in education and jobs to a larger bench.
The bench held that no Maratha quota will be granted for jobs and admissions for the session 2020-21 and said that admissions to postgraduate courses in the state will not be altered. The bench was hearing two appeals, including one filed by J Laxman Rao Patil challenging the Bombay High Court order that upheld the constitutional validity of the quota for the Maratha community in education and government jobs in the state.
The Bombay High Court had on June 27, 2019, observed that the 50 per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances. Another appeal filed by advocate Sanjeet Shukla, a representative of ‘Youth for Equality’, said the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, enacted to grant reservation to the Maratha community people in jobs and education, breached the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation fixed by the top court in its judgment in the Indira Sawhney case.
Also Read: Bihar election decision in a day or two: CEC Sunil Arora
Also Read: Ahmed Patel hits out at BJP; says couldn’t evict China but using strength to evict 8 opposition MPs
Earlier Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Ashok Chavan met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Monday over Maratha reservation.”A petition has to be filed in Supreme Court for vacating its interim order (on Maratha reservation). The Chief Minister has discussed the matter with senior leaders,” Chavan said while speaking to the reporters here. Speaking about the Agriculture Bills and Congress’ stand, Chavan stated.(ANI)
