The Bombay High Court on Friday cancelled the previous Congress-NCP government’s decision of giving 16 percent reservation for Marathas in jobs and educational institutions in Maharashtra.
The High Court’s order comes on a petition challenging the measure, terming it as a “fraud” on the Constitution.
The HC bench also stayed the previous Prithviraj Chavan led government’s order to provide 5 percent reservation to Muslims in public service, but allowed them quota in educational institutions.
However, the PIL had only challenged the reservation for the Marathas. It had urged the court to direct the state government to “recall” the decision.
Four months ahead of Assembly elections, the Congress-NCP government had announced 16 percent reservation for Marathas and five percent for Muslims in jobs and educational institutions.
Terming Maratha community as socially and educationally backward is a “mockery of the people of Maharashtra and of the community”. This is so since Maratha is a linguistic group originating from the term Marathi, said the PIL.