HC seeks written arguments from petitioners on 16% reservation to Marathas

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government and other persons who have filed petitions in the high court on the issue of 16 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions, to submit their written arguments.

A division bench of justices Anoop Mohta and G S Kulkarni directed all the parties concerned to submit their written arguments by October 13 after which the court would fix a date for final hearing in the matter.

A bunch of public interest litigations and petitions have been filed in the high court challenging the 16 per cent Maratha reservation decision.

One of the petitioners, Ketan Tirodkar in his plea contended that the decision to term the Maratha community as socially and educationally backward is a "fraud" committed upon the country and its Constitution.

In November 2014, the high court had stayed implementation of the controversial decision of the erstwhile Congress-NCP government.

The court had while staying the 16 per cent Maratha reservation held that the Supreme Court had already laid down the law for reservation which cannot exceed 50 per cent of the total seats.

In Maharashtra, 52 per cent seats in government jobs and educational institutions were already reserved for various backward groups and by introducing the 16 per cent Maratha and 5 per cent Muslim reservation, it raised to 73 per cent.

The high court had also held that the Maratha community cannot be regarded as Backward Class and that the National Commission for Backward Class and Mandal Commission had concluded that the Maratha community is socially advanced.