Battle for Maratha reservation to be fought in Delhi: Shiv Sena mouthpiece

By ANI
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, in its editorial on Monday said that the battle for the Maratha reservation will be fought in Delhi.

The editorial said it becomes necessary to knock on the doors of Delhi on the issue of the Maratha reservation. “The collision will prove to be decisive. To destabilize the politics of Maharashtra, the opposition will use the issue of the Maratha reservation as a weapon, then they will have to stop it in time,” it stated.

Saamana said that Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje has taken an aggressive role in the context of the Maratha reservation. “He has warned to go on street agitation if there is no decision by June 6,” it said. Referring to the Supreme Court’s observation, the editorial said only the Central government has the right to make such law regarding the reservation.

Quoting Sambhaji Raje in this context, Saamana said, “The government has three legal options. The state could file a review petition in the Supreme Court. If it is dismissed, file an amended petition. Even if it was failed, plead with the President as per Article 37 of the Constitution.”

The publication emphasised the contribution of Maratha society in the formation of Maharashtra. It said Marathas are now lagging economically behind with poor crop harvesting due to nature’s degeneracy as well as lack of employment opportunities. Therefore, the Maharashtra Government enacted a law giving 18 percent reservation to the Maratha community, which is educationally and socially backward.

“Therefore, the self-respect of the Marathas will have to be knocked at the door of Delhi. They will have to re-create the atmosphere of the battle of united Maharashtra in Delhi,” added Saamana.

The Supreme Court on May 5, 2021 struck down the reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the Maratha community brought in by the Maharashtra government in 2018, saying it exceeded the 50 per cent cap imposed earlier.

A five-judge Constitution Bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, S Abdul Nazeer, Hemant Gupta and Ravindra Bhat in its judgment said that that people from the Maratha community cannot be declared as educationally and socially backward community to bring them within the reserved category.