Supreme Court seeks Maharashtra govt’s response on plea against Maratha quota order

The Supreme Court Friday sought response of the Maharashtra government on a plea challenging grant of reservation to the Maratha community in education and jobs in the state. Refusing to stay the June 27 Bombay High Court order which had upheld the validity of reservation granted to the Maratha community by the Maharashtra government, the SC Bench led by Chief Justice of India Justice Ranjan Gogoi clarified that the reservation will not have retrospective effect.

The SC order comes a day after a government resolution (GR) issued by the Maharashtra chief minister-led general administration department stated that the reservation will be applied from 2014.

Earlier, while justifying giving quota with retrsopective effect, the Devendra Fadnavis led state government argued that the ordinance granting 16 per cent reservation to the Marathas had originally been issued on July 9, 2014 by the previous Congress-NCP regime. But on November 14, 2014, the HC, which was hearing a petition against this ordinance, had stayed it.