Maratha quota: Supreme Court adjourns hearing on stay on reservation for 4 weeks

As the Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on vacation of the interim stay on Maratha reservation for four weeks, the community accused the Maharashtra

As the Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing on vacation of the interim stay on Maratha reservation for four weeks, the community accused the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government of lack of strategy, demanding steps to expedite the procedure to safeguard the interest of Maratha students seeking admissions.

The Marathas were given reservations of 12% and 13% in employment and admissions respectively under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018. A three-judge bench, on September 9, transferred the case to the constitution bench, putting interim stay on the reservation.

Challenging the stay, the state government and respondent representing the community on Tuesday requested the three-judge bench to hold the hearing before a constitution bench, after which the hearing was adjourned for four weeks. The adjournment will lead to further delay in college admissions and the appointment of community members whose recruitment has been completed.

The state had put the admission process of junior college and medical courses on hold, anticipating the vacation of the stay. It has also deferred written exams for Maharashtra Public Services Commission for more than 200 posts of officers in various government departments. The state cabinet is expected to discuss the issue in its meeting on Thursday.

“The adjournment is the result of lack of strategy and coordination from the state government. We brought it to their notice, but the state delayed taking steps to constitute the larger bench. There were legal lacunae in the applications made by the government. The state government did not even present the side properly on Tuesday. We had requested the state to seek the court’s guidance on prolonged admissions due to stay during Tuesday’s hearing, but in vain. The state should now take necessary decisions to begin the admission process,” said BJP legislator and chief of Shiv Sangram Party Vinayak Mete. He has also demanded replacement of public works department minister Ashok Chavan as head of the cabinet sub-committee on Maratha reservation.

Vinod Patil, one of the respondents in the Supreme Court in the reservation petition, said, “The state should have intimated the court that it wants the hearing before the constitution bench when it was listed 10 days ago. We are wasting our time for want of coordination and strategy. Students are left in the lurch.”

Chavan, however, rubbished the allegations. “We filed an application in the apex court on the constitution bench on October 7 and we were informed on October 10 that it is before the larger bench. Despite this, the hearing was listed before the three-judge bench which stayed the reservation. The state government’s counsel could not attend the hearing initially only because of technical reasons, but later put forth our stand very effectively. The state will again approach the chief justice of India to constitute the bench at the earliest,” he said.

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said the MVA government failed to make adequate preparations for the SC hearing and the adjournment was a result of it. Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the BJP was politicising the issue.