Govt To Address Maratha Quota Demand, Protect OBCs: Fadnavis

Nagpur: With Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange again launching an indefinite hunger strike from Antarwati Sarati village in Jalna, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the Mahayuti govt remained committed to addressing the concerns of the Maratha community while ensuring that the interests of OBC community were not compromised.Speaking to the media here, Fadnavis said any decision on reservation would have to withstand constitutional and judicial scrutiny, underscoring the legal complexities surrounding one of Maharashtra's most sensitive political issues. "The govt has always been positive on this issue. Whenever difficulties arose, we took decisions in a transparent manner. The govt will take the same stand in future as well," he said.Jarange has revived his demand for Kunbi caste certificates for eligible Marathas to facilitate access to OBC reservation benefits. Jarange also sought implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records and withdrawal of cases registered against protesters during the Maratha reservation agitations. Seeking to reassure the Maratha community, Fadnavis said the Mahayuti govts led by him and deputy CM Eknath Shinde have taken unprecedented steps in the matter. The CM stressed that the govt will have to follow the Constitution of India and directives of the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court. "A decision taken outside that framework may bring publicity, but it will not survive legal scrutiny," he said. The Maratha reservation debate has long been intertwined with concerns raised by OBC organisations, which argue that extending reservation benefits to Marathas from the existing OBC quota could dilute opportunities available to backward communities. Addressing the apprehensions, Fadnavis said the govt would not pit one community against another. "We have never taken benefits away from one community to give them to another. We will address the concerns of the Maratha community, but we will not allow any injustice to the OBC community," he said. On demands for a fresh govt resolution related to the quota issue, the CM indicated that discussions were underway. "I do not want to go into details now," he said.#Fadnavis speaks:Govt commited to resolving the Maratha reservation issueAll decisions must comply with constitutional and judicial requirementsMahayuti Govt has taken unprecedented decisions for MarathasOBC reservation benefits would not be dilutedOne community would not be favoured at the cost of anotherDiscussions for a possible govt resolution underway Issue politically sensitive and subject to potential judicial scrutiny