Fadnavis insists government was only ensuring quota law passed legal test, appeals to protesters to not indulge in violence
Mumbai: The Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra government has promised to hold a special legislative session to discuss reservations for the Maratha community once the State Backward Class Commission (SBCC) submits a report on the issue.
The decision was taken at an all-party meeting convened by the government Saturday, following a wave of Maratha protests over the past week. The protesters had been demanding the implementation of the government’s promise to provide quotas in government jobs and education for the community. At several places, the protests turned violent.
“The state government is not dillydallying on the issue of Maratha reservations but trying to ensure that all the shortcomings are met and the law stands in court. All parties are committed to providing reservations to the Maratha community without touching on the existing quotas of other communities,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters after Saturday’s meeting.
He added that the government had already requested the SBCC to expedite its report giving recommendations on how to implement the reservations for the Marathas. “Once we have the report, the government will study it and organise a special session of the legislature for all parties to be able to take a decision on the matter,” Fadnavis said.
The Maratha quota issue is currently in the Bombay High Court, which had earlier struck down the government’s decision to provide 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community. The SBCC is currently working on a report to determine the community’s social and economic backwardness.
Don’t indulge in violence, CM appeals to Maratha protesters
The chief minister also appealed to the Maratha community to not indulge in violence. “The Maratha community had 57 silent protests that were lauded by the entire country. Everyone has seen the power of these protests. I request everyone to not support violence over this issue. This question is not going to be solved by violence but by constructive discussion in the court and legislature,” Fadnavis said, adding that some people who had nothing to do with the Maratha protests or the community may have participated in the violence and urged the community to steer clear of such people.
He promised to withdraw all “unfounded police cases” against protesters involved in the recent agitation. “I will instruct the director general of police to take back all cases, excluding the ones where there is proof of protesters attacking police personnel, pelting stones, breaking car windows and so on,” Fadnavis said.
The Maratha community, which comprises 32 per cent of Maharashtra’s population, has been protesting for quotas in government jobs and education since August 2016. The protests were initially sparked by the rape and murder of a Maratha girl at Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district but soon the prime demand became securing reservation for the community, on the grounds that it mostly comprises of poor farmers from Marathwada who have suffered due to a deep agrarian crisis and the government’s neglect.
Between August 2016 and 2017, the community had held nearly 60 silent marches across the state. The trigger for the most recent agitation, which turned violent, was the government’s intention of launching a mega recruitment drive to hire 72,000 employees.
Fadnavis has now said that the recruitment will only occur once the Marathas are satisfied with it. “Any action on the recruitment drive will be taken only after the Maratha community is comfortable with the decision. We promise to stay recruitment on 16 per cent of the total jobs till the court’s decision,” he said.