"Shocking and disappointing": Ashok Chavan takes a dig at Centre over Maratha reservation

On Monday, March 8, the ruling and opposition parties in Maharashtra engaged in a verbal duel over the Attorney General’s submission on Maratha reservation in the Supreme Court.

Ashok Chavan, the chairman of cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation stated that the Centre’s role is very shocking and disappointing towards this matter.

केंद्र सरकारच्या १०२ व्या घटना दुरूस्तीनंतर राज्यांना सामाजिक व शैक्षणिक मागास प्रवर्ग तयार करण्याचे अधिकार आहेत की नाहीत, हे तपासावे लागेल अशी संदिग्ध व धक्कादायक भूमिका आज अॅटॉर्नी जनरल यांनी सर्वोच्च न्यायालयात घेतली. ही भूमिका अतिशय धक्कादायक व निराशाजनक आहे.#मराठाआरक्षण

— Ashok Chavan (@AshokChavanINC) March 8, 2021

Speaking on behalf of the Union Government, the Attorney General had questioned that after the 102nd Amendment to the Constitution whether the states have the right to create socially and educationally backward classes.

Responding to this, Chavan said that the Attorney General's argument suggests that the SEBC Act proposing the Maratha Reservation passed by the Maharashtra Legislature in 2018 is not valid.

However, the apex court has accepted the state government’s major request to issue notices to the states whose reservation cases are pending in the court. The apex court has now sought a response from all states on 50 per cent reservation, the Congress leader added.

The state government has demanded that the hearing on Maratha reservation should be held before a large bench of the Supreme Court. In this regard, the hearing in the Supreme Court started from March 8 through online video conferencing. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi has been defending the side of state government.

Also, the Supreme Court has decided to focus on some issues for the next hearing. The first issue to be discussed is the Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, which caps the reservation to 50 per cent. The court said this needs to be reviewed before an 11-member bench.

Secondly, after the 102nd Amendment, will the states have the right to appoint backward class commissions and create socially and educationally backward class reservation?