Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on December 19 said that a special session of the Maharashtra Assembly, if required, would be convened in February next year to grant reservation for the Maratha community after reviewing the State Backward Class Commission’s report to the government on the Maratha quota issue.
Mr. Shinde, who was addressing the Legislative Assembly on the penultimate day of the winter session after tabling the Justice (retd.) Sandeep Shinde Committee report on Maratha reservation, reiterated the State government’s commitment towards ensuring a fool-proof quota for the Marathas, while urging quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil to repose faith in the government.
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“The Justice Shinde Committee set up for Maratha quota has submitted its report to the government. The report of the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission, proving that the Marathas are socio-economically backward, will be submitted within a month’s time. After reviewing this report, as per requirement, I promise to summon a special session of the State Legislature to give reservation to the Maratha community,” the CM said, while enumerating all the steps taken by his government to work towards a quota for the Maratha community.
Mr. Shinde reiterated that while giving a quota to the Marathas, the existing Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation would not be affected in any way.
“While the Supreme Court had dismissed the review petition over the reservation issue in 2021, a window has opened through the curative petition. Work is currently going on a war-footing by the Backward Class Commission to prove the Marathas as socio-economically backward. However, while this is on, we keep repeating time and again that the OBC reservation will not be affected,” Mr. Shinde said.
Cautioning both ruling and Opposition party leaders to not foment tensions between Maratha and OBC communities, Mr. Shinde exhorted leaders of both sides to take care to ensure that there were no schisms between the two communities, and that a fraternal feeling was maintained.
“No one should take undue advantage of the Maratha quota agitation for their own political ends,” the CM warned.
“The government will not rest till it has given a fool-proof quota for the Marathas. In doing this, I’m saying again that the OBC community, or any other community for that matter, will not be affected. Our government stands behind every community in need…had it been the OBCs who needed reservation, then we would have stood behind them as well,” Mr. Shinde said.
The CM’s speech in the Assembly evoked a mixed reaction from Mr. Jarange-Patil.
While remaining firm on carrying on with his agitation after December 24 (his deadline to the government to grant the Marathas a quota), Mr. Jarange-Patil nonetheless said that an important point in Mr. Shinde’s address was that the government had conceded that reservation would be given to the relatives of all those Marathas who had submitted proof prior to 1967 showing themselves to be Kunbi OBCs.
The activist said that the State government ought to clear some technical points related to granting of reservation to blood relatives of Marathas who had submitted proof of being Kunbi OBC.
“We want to know how the State government will determine the process of granting reservation to the relatives of those Marathas who had given proofs establishing them as Kunbi OBC as per old records. Secondly, when do these relatives start availing of reservation benefits, and by what process? Will the government instruct District Collectors to seek affidavits from those claiming to be relatives of a Maratha who has proved himself to be a Kunbi OBC member?” Mr. Jarange-Patil said.
He demanded that the Shinde government send a strong message to the community by being clear on these points.
“We want this part to be clear so that Marathas will not remain in doubt or be confused about how they are to avail of the reservation benefits. From Mr. Shinde’s speech of today, it seems that the State Government is 50% honest. We are not overtly concerned with the Backward Class Commission’s report to be submitted in February. Instead, we seek clarification on these technical points,” Mr. Jarange-Patil said.
The activist said that if the government did not give a clear answer on the points pertaining to reservation for relatives, the agitation would continue after December 24.
