BJP MP Sambhajiraje royally slams Thackeray Govt over EWS reservation for community

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Pune: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje on Thursday slammed Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government decision to give the Maratha community reservation quota benefits under the Centre’s Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.  Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje hails Kolhapur and is the direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Speaking to newspersons here, Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje wondered how much of the quota benefits would actually pass on to the Maratha community and questioned whether the state government had already given up hopes of putting up a strong defense for the Maratha quota before the Supreme Court hearing on the case on January 25 next year. 

“While I certainly am not against the benefits of the EWS reservation being passed on to the Maratha community, the question here is whether the State government can guarantee that it will not endanger the quota benefits traditionally availed by other castes included in the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category? Furthermore, will the Marathas actually avail of any benefits under this rubric?” he asked. 

In a move apparently aimed at circumventing the Supreme Court stay on Maratha quota, the Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday decided to allow the community to avail the quota benefits of the EWS category. This implies that the Maratha community can get reservation in education and jobs in the State under the 10 per cent EWS quota. 

However, a stumbling block is that the Supreme Court had already stayed the implementation of the SEBC law earlier in September this year, citing the 50% reservation cap. 

“I think this (MVA) government is developing cold feet. Earlier, I use to side with Thackeray’s government and indulging in constructive criticism, but now, I feel that something is definitely amiss. Is the state government trying to wash its hands off this matter and hence announcing reservation for the Maratha under the EWS category well before the January 25 hearing? If so, then in the event that something goes wrong during that hearing, then the MVA government must bear full responsibility for failing to make the Maratha quota law stick in the Supreme Court,” said Sambhajiraje, while urging Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, whose party is part of the MVA government, to immediately look into this matter.

In Pune, Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) protested against the State government’s move with community leader Rajendra Kondhre remarking that the community was being “played like a football” by both the ruling and the opposition party leaders. 

As per the cabinet’s decision, it will be voluntary to avail the quota benefit under the EWS category. However, those opting for EWS certificates will not be eligible to avail the reservation benefit under the SEBC category. 

Meanwhile, Maratha community leader Pravin Gaikwad welcomed the state government’s decision, while remarking that there was no connection between the move to make the Maratha community avail of EWS benefits and the upcoming hearing on January 25.  

“On the contrary, this move will not only help break the stalemate but also help the State government to go ahead with its mega-recruitment plans for the Maratha community,” stated Gaikwad.