Controversy Over Maratha Reservation: Legal and Political Hurdles

Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has stated that the inclusion of 'sage soyare' in Maratha reservation will not withstand legal scrutiny. He criticized the opposition for political manipulation and defended BJP’s efforts to grant quota to Marathas, warning about potential legal challenges to such a reservation.

Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan has stated that the demand to include 'sage soyare' in the Maratha reservation notification will not withstand legal scrutiny. The term, which refers to birth and marriage relations in Marathi, faces substantial legal challenges, said Mahajan.

During a press briefing in Pune, Mahajan, a BJP leader and close associate of Devendra Fadnavis, accused the opposition of using the Maratha reservation issue for political gains. He asserted that it was the previous Fadnavis administration that granted quota to the Maratha community without affecting the allocation for other communities.

After the BJP-led government granted the quota, Mahajan criticized the subsequent Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government for failing to defend it in the Supreme Court. Mahajan reiterated the BJP's stance supporting quota for the Maratha community, aimed to offer reservation without altering the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) quota. However, he emphasized that activist Manoj Jarange's demands for recognizing Kunbis as 'sage soyare' under Maratha reservation are unlikely to hold up legally.

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