Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Friday that his government was firm in bringing justice to the Marathas, and the option of issuing an ordinance to restore the community’s student quota was discussed.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court suspended implementation of the state’s 2018 Maratha quota law and referred petitions challenging the law to a larger constitutional court.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of Maratha organizations and a cabinet subcommittee on the issue, Thackeray said that all stakeholders should refrain from engaging in politics and provoking community members.
The CM also said that it had spoken with the head of the CPN, Sharad Pawar, and discussed the possibility of helping Maratha students through the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Institute for Human Development and Research Training (Saarthi), or through the enactment of an ordinance.
SAARTHI has been established for research, policy advocacy and training for the socio-economic and educational development of the Marathas.
“We will do whatever it takes to do justice to the Maratha community by trusting everyone. The leaders of the opposition will also be invited to dialogue, ”he said.
Legal experts and researchers on the Maratha issue were also present at the meeting via videoconference.
Thackeray said the Maratha quota bill was passed unanimously in the state legislature and ratified by the Bombay High Court.
The legal team representing the government in the Supreme Court had been appointed by the previous government (led by the BJP), he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be asked to intervene to solve the problem, he added.
Maratha teams that participated in the meeting provided support to the state government’s efforts and ensured cooperation, said a statement from the prime minister’s office.
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