The Upper House of the Maharashtra State Legislature on Wednesday gave its approval to the Maratha Reservation Bill which provides 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in educational institutions and government jobs.
The bill was passed by the State Assembly on Tuesday.
“We consulted senior legal experts including the Attorney General of India after the Bombay High Court issued an interim stay on the ordinance ( issued by previous Congress-NCP government providing 16 percent reservation to Marathas) . We received partial relief from the Supreme Court but as advised by legal experts we have passed the bill in both the Houses of State Legislature,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The CM had earlier assured that his government would field senior lawyers including the Attorney General and P.P.Rao to represent the State Government in Bombay High Court which had stayed the ordinance.
The High Court had also stayed five per cent reservation in government jobs for Muslims but had allowed five per cent Muslim reservation in educational institutions.
However, the Opposition continued its protest over the government’s decision against tabling the Muslim Reservation Bill and not to bring an ordinance to save the five per cent reservation to the minority community provided by the previous government through an ordinance which lapsed on Wednesday.
Both the Opposition parties, the Congress and the NCP, boycotted proceedings of the Lower House and staged a walkout in the Upper House.
“This government is discriminating against the minority community. It does not want to provide reservation to the Muslims,” alleged the Leader of Opposition in the Council, Dhananjay Munde.
Opposition members resorted to sloganeering against the government inside and outside the Upper House.
“There is constitutional deadlock over the Muslim reservation bill as the high court stayed only half of the reservation. We have asked for the Advocate General’s opinion on the bill and we will act on it once we are satisfied that the bill can stand legal scrutiny,” said Mr. Fadnavis at a press conference in the evening and accused the Opposition of playing politics over the issue.
