Maharashtra quota row: As OBC organisations call meeting, Maratha groups file caveat to prepare for legal battle

Rashtriya Chhava Sanghatan (RCS), representing the Maratha community, filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, Bombay High Court and the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar bench of the Bombay High Court with a plea that they should be heard before giving any judgment on a petition by the OBC organisations or leaders against the Maharashtra government resolution.

“I have filed a caveat regarding the Hyderabad Gazette on behalf of the Maratha community and have requested that the government resolution in this regard should not be stayed or cancelled without hearing the side of the Maratha community,” said Gangadhar Kalkute-Patil, president of the RCS.

Meanwhile, Congress Legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar Saturday announced to hold a meeting of all organisations representing OBCs on September 8 in Mumbai. “The present state government is anti-OBC. The GR issued by the government is going to compromise the interests of OBCs. We cannot allow that to happen,” said Wadettiwar.

The leader from Vidarbha said the OBCs will have to strategise the fight against the GR. “If the government is going to harm the interests of OBCs, we will have to fight against it. We will have to protect our rights,” said Wadettiwar.

Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra minister and senior OBC leader from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has already expressed concerns over the Maharashtra government’s GR and announced that he will fight a legal battle if OBC interests are being compromised.

Maratha leader Kalkute-Patil said their main prayer in the caveat is that the court should not grant a unilateral stay on a petition challenging the government resolution by OBC organisations.

“The Maratha community’s side will have to be heard. Since the caveat has been filed, the court will first hear the side of the Maratha community and then deliver its judgment. This means that the reservation cannot be stopped without listening to the stance of the Maratha community,” he said, adding that the Maratha community will have the opportunity to take up its issues and further make its legal battle stronger.

“The move to file a caveat is to ensure psychological and legal protection. It creates confidence in the Maratha community that there will be no sudden decision against reservation. This maintains stability in the ongoing movement demanding reservation to the Maratha community,” he said.

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