Syed Imtiaz Jaleel (50), a journalist and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA from Aurangabad, on Tuesday said he was withdrawing his petition filed in the Bombay High Court challenging the 16% reservation for Marathas.
Mr. Jaleel’s petition, which was filed earlier this month, sought a stay on implementation of the reservation for the community under the Socially and Educationally Backward Category (SEBC). The petition also sought quashing the report of the Retired Justice M.G. Gaikwad Commission (Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission), which was submitted on November 15, 2018 to the State government recommending the reservation.
Addressing reporters in Aurangabad, Mr. Jaleel said, “The situation has changed after the Central government announced 10% reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections [EWS] among the non-reserved category. We hope that the Muslim community benefits from this as well. I am withdrawing my petition until there is more clarity on the implementation of the 10% quota.”
Rues lack of support
However, Mr. Jaleel said he would consider re-filing the petition if the minority community failed to reap any benefit from the 10% reservation for EWS in the general category. Mr. Jaleel said that while he had filed the petition with the aim of expediting some resolution on the long-pending Muslim reservation issue, he was disappointed at the lack of support among Muslim MLAs across parties on the matter.
His petition had sought an interim stay on the operation, execution, and implementation of the Maharashtra State Reservation (of seats for admission in educational institutions in the State and for appointments in the public services and posts under the State) for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018.
The petition sought to restrain all agents, subordinates and servants of the State government, Minorities Department, Social Justices and Special Assistance Department, State Backward Class Commission, State Public Services Commission, Union and National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes from granting the Maratha community admission in educational institutions and appointments in the services under the SEBC Act.
Mr. Jaleel said in the petition that he had met the Chief minister during the winter session and urged him to provide 5% reservation to 52 Muslim communities as recommended by the Maharashtra State Minority Commission.
The petition urged the State to issue a specification/identification of Muslim communities to form a socially and educationally backward class and send it to the National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes so they can be included in the Central List of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes.
A Division Bench of Justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre will hear petitions for and against the Maratha reservation on January 23.
