Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. File
| Photo Credit: Today News 24
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday has put the onus on to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the balancing act on the contentious issue of providing reservation status to the Maratha community under the Socially and Economically Backward Classes category, while keeping the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBC) intact.
The Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench in May 2021 had struck down reservation separately provided to the Maratha community as it exceeded the 50% ceiling. Likewise, the apex court on Monday declined to stay Patna High Court’s order quashing 65% caste based reservation in Bihar.
“They [agitators] should approach PM Modi and let him decide on the resolution. We will support whatever decision is taken by him,” Mr. Thackeray said while referring to Bihar’s case study and explaining that the State lacks the authority to raise the ceiling beyond 50% to provide caste based reservations. “This can be resolved only in the Parliament. We (Shiv Sena [UBT]) will support the move.”
Responding to Mr. Thackeray’s suggestion, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “He doesn’t want to be firm on anything and wants to put the onus on others. He only wants to do politics and is looking to divide two communities. He is only looking to exploit the situation.”
Pro-quota Maratha agitator Manoj Jarange-Patil has sought the stance of the Opposition political parties on the subject, last week. While interacting with the media persons at his residence, Mr. Thackeray was asked his views on the topic.
He questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti Maharashtra government, if they want to hurt the interests and sentiments of OBC by accommodating the Maratha community within their pool of 32% quota.
Former Union Minister and BJP Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Bhagwat Karad on Monday had defended demand from the OBC communities to keep their share of reservation untouched. “The 10% quota provided to the Marathas by the State government will stand legal scrutiny. As an OBC, I oppose extending benefits of OBC quota to the Maratha community,” the BJP leader had said.
When Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Chief and former Union Minister Sharad Pawar, who is part of the Opposition alliance along with Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), was asked for his views on July 27 with regards to providing reservation to the Marathas in government jobs and education, he volunteered to play the role of a “mediator”.
Maratha movement leader Mr. Jarange-Patil has threatened to either field candidates on all the 288 Maharashtra legislative Assembly seats, likely to go to polls later this year, or announce which candidate should be backed, if ‘sage-soyare’ notification to get reservation for his community under OBC is not implemented immediately. The Marathi term ‘sage-soyare’ means biological and marital relations. Inclusion of this would mean a significant section of the Maratha community benefiting from reservation by declaring themselves as those from the kunbi caste.
