Even as Maharashtra is fighting against the Covid pandemic, the Supreme Court decision to reject the State Government’s decision on the Maratha community reservation is unfortunate for the hard-working warrior community in the State, said the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday in a media statement.

He was reacting to a Supreme Court decision that declared a Maharashtra Government law that provides reservation benefits to the Maratha community as unconstitutional.

Thackeray said that the State Government had decided to give reservation only to protect the self-esteem of the Maratha community. The Supreme Court has now overturned that decision, which was taken unanimously by all political parties in the Maharashtra Legislature.

In other words, the Maharashtra Government does not have the right to decide on this reservation. The apex court also rejected the State Government decision to implement the Gaikwad committee recommendations, he said.

Thackeray said that therefore he was urging the Prime Minister and the President to take an urgent decision on Maratha reservation. Earlier, in the Shahbano case, in Atrocities Act and the removal of Section 370, the Centre has taken prompt decisions. Now the same pace should be shown regarding Maratha reservation. For Maratha reservation also changes should be made in the Constitution.

The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is sovereign and the State Government is the voice of the people. The State Government took the decision because there was a big outcry for reservation among the Maratha community, he added.

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