Girish Mahajan: Manoj Jarange's demand for specific reservation term won't pass legal test

Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan, File Photo

Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said that Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange's desire to incorporate the term 'sage soyare' in the Maratha reservation notice will not be legally supported. In Marathi, the term "sage soyare" refers to both biological and marital relationships, reported PTI.

Per the report, speaking to reporters in Pune on Wednesday, the BJP leader accused the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi of using the Maratha reservation issue for political gain and pointed out that the previous Devendra Fadnavis government granted the Maratha community quota without it affecting allocations to other communities.

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"In the last 50 years, had anyone made efforts to give reservation to the Maratha community? (NCP-SP chief) Sharad Pawar had even said there was no need to give reservation to Marathas," claimed Mahajan, a close associate of Fadnavis.

Mahajan chastised the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government for failing to defend the Maratha reservation in the Supreme Court after the BJP-led government awarded it. He stated that the BJP supports the Maratha quota without affecting the quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), stated PTI report.

"The BJP's stand is very clear and it is in support of quota for the Maratha community. It is our stand to give reservation to the Maratha community without touching the reservation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). What can we do if, despite all these efforts, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange is not satisfied?" The BJP leader commented.

According to the report, Mahajan claimed that while Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange seeks reservation for "sage soyare," such a reservation would fail legal scrutiny in court. "As far as I know, such a reservation cannot be given, but if there is a workable solution, the government will pursue it," he stated.

Jarange has stated that if their demands are not realised, the Marathas may consider running in state assembly elections alongside other socioeconomic groupings.

"Politics is not our way. But if our demands are not fulfilled, we will be left with no other option except contesting elections. We will contest elections in all 288 assembly seats in the state," Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange had declared per PTI report.

The 41-year-old activist has been advocating for the implementation of a draft notification that identifies Kunbis as "sage soyare" of Maratha community members and seeks legislation to declare Kunbis as Marathas. Kunbi, an agrarian group, is classified as an OBC, and Jarange has been demanding that all Marathas be awarded Kunbi certificates, making them eligible for quotas in government jobs and education.

In February of this year, the state assembly unanimously passed a bill allowing the Maratha group a distinct 10 per cent quota in education and jobs. However, the community has demanded quotas within the OBC grouping.