The Devendra Fadnavis government on Tuesday introduced the Maratha reservation bill in the lower house of the State legislature but decided to give a miss to the five per cent reservation to Muslims announced by the previous government.
The Congress-NCP government had issued ordinances providing 16 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs to the politically dominant Maratha community, and five per cent reservation to the Muslim community in June this year with an eye on the October Assembly elections.
The Bombay high court, however, passed an interim order staying the reservation for Marathas and job reservation for Muslims while allowing five per cent reservation for Muslims in educational institutions. The Supreme Court refused to interfere with the High Court order.
The lower house of the Maharashtra legislature passed the Maratha reservation bill on Tuesday. It will be sent to the upper house on Wednesday. The opposition protested the government’s move of not introducing a bill on Muslim reservation and staged a walkout.
“The government is trying to fuel communal tensions by creating a rift between communities,” alleged senior Congress leader and newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in the lower house, Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil.
Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar accused the Fadnavis government of “implementing the RSS’s communal agenda” using its numerical strength, and threatened to boycott the rest of the winter session.
The Chief Minister, however, defended his government's move and said the final decision regarding Muslim reservation would be taken after consulting the State Advocate General.
“We are not against anyone. The high court had quashed the job reservation for Muslims as promulgated in the ordinance. We could not have brought in the half bill. We will bring it after taking advice from the Advocate General. The opposition is playing politics with this issue despite the CM’s assurance,” claimed Education Minister Vinod Tawade.
The ordinance on Muslim reservation will lapse on Wednesday.
