Within two days of the law granting the Maratha community a 16 per cent quota in jobs and education in Maharashtra coming into force, it has been challenged in the Bombay High Court. The challenge came on Monday through a public interest litigation (PIL) by Dr Gunaratna Sadavarte, who also a lawyer/activist. The PIL has been registered but not mentioned before the bench.

Sadavarte's primary contention is that the Maratha quota is unconstitutional because it exceeds the legal ceiling of 50 per cent. The lawyer had also written to the Maharashtra governor, making an appeal that the law passed on November 29 should not be ratified. However, the law has been signed and published in the state gazette on November 30. Sensing trouble in the courts, the Maharashtra government had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court.