Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government was working on the demand for reservations to the Maratha community...

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said his government was working on the demand for reservations to the Maratha community, but that the legal process could not be curtailed. Speaking at a function here to release a book on Chhatrapati Rajaram, King Shivaji's descendant, Fadnavis said the decision cannot be taken only on the basis of sentiments. He described as lamentable the incidents of violence and alleged suicides for the quota demand reported during the ongoing agitation by Maratha organisations in the last few days. 

Legal process has to be completed for granting quota

"If sentiments are aroused, there will be unrest in the community. The legal process needs to be completed and our government will do that in a time-bound manner," he added. The BJP-led government in the state enacted a law to provide reservation in jobs and education to the community within a year of coming to power, he noted. "But the High Court stayed the decision and the Supreme Court upheld the high court order. There is a 1992 Supreme Court judgement that reservations should not exceed 50 per cent. 

To increase them (beyond 50 per cent) there should be extraordinary circumstances and these (circumstances) must be put forth through the State Backward Class Commission (before the court)," Fadnavis pointed out. His government formed the commission and the process of surveys and public hearings had started, he said. "But the commission chairman passed away. Now new chairman has been appointed and the process has restarted. 

Supreme Court

After its report is submitted, we will call an assembly session to take the reservation demand to its logical conclusion," he said. People need to understand that to ensure that reservations stand legal scrutiny, the 1992 Supreme Court judgement must be followed, the chief minister said. "We have to give reservations to the Marathas without tampering with the SC-ST-OBC quota," he added. "We are being asked to issue an ordinance. It can be done, but it will not stand (scrutiny) in the court....Do we want to fool people or grant reservations genuinely?" he asked.