"This will also stand in court": CM Shinde after Maratha Reservation Bill passed by assembly unanimously

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 20 (ANI): After the Maratha Reservation Bill was passed by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde thanked the opposition and the ruling alliance leaders for supporting it and hoped the bill would also stand in the Supreme Court.
Both houses of the Maharashtra legislature unanimously passed the Maratha Reservation Bill tabled on Tuesday, which intends to extend 10 per cent reservation to Marathas above the 50 per cent cap.
Referring to this, the Chief Minister said that under some exceptional circumstances, the government took the decision to pass the bill and he hopes that it will also stand legal scrutiny.
"Today is a day of happiness for the Maratha community. For quite a few years this was their demand and this government has decided on 10 per cent reservation for the Maratha community. The data has been collected extensively. This reservation will also stand in court," he said
"Under some exceptional circumstance, the government decided to pass the Maratha Reservation Bill. Many people have died by suicide for the sake of reservation. We will give the Maratha reservation without making any kind of change in the reservation of the Other Backward Caste (OBC) or any other community," CM Shinde said.
The Chief Minister also thanked the opposition leaders for supporting the Maratha Reservation Bill in the assembly.
"The bill has been passed unanimously. I want to thank the opposition leaders for supporting the bill in the assembly. I also want to thank the deputy Chief Ministers, state cabinet ministers and other MLAs for supporting the bill. A detailed survey has been done keeping in view the feedback of the Supreme Court. I hope that the reservation will stand in the apex court," he said.
Expressing joy over the Maratha Reservation Bill that has been passed in both houses, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said that it was a happy moment.
"Today, under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde our government had given a proposal of 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community in both the Houses. The bill was passed unanimously in both Houses. OBC reservation has not been touched. This has been given separately," he told reporters.
"This is a happy moment. The Maratha Reservation Bill has been passed in both houses. Earlier too our government had given Maratha Reservation but it did not stand in the Court. But, today our government has given 10 per cent reservation to Maratha community in education and jobs," the Deputy CM added.
Maharashtra BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule called the passing of the Maratha Reservation Bill "a historic decision".
"I thank the Maharashtra government, CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar and all the party leaders. The bill was passed unanimously. It is a historic decision," he said.
Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai said, "This will give 10 per cent reservation in education and jobs. Everyone (Maratha) will get benefit from this, CM Eknath Shinde made a promise and he fulfilled it. This bill was passed in Vidhan Sabha and Vidhan Parishad".
NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Anil Bhaidas Patil also expressed his happiness over the passing of the Maratha Reservation Bill.
"It is a moment of happiness that the word given by CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis has been fulfilled and Maratha reservation has been given. We are happy", he said.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane said that it is a big day for the Maratha community.
"The Maratha community will benefit from this reservation now. Whenever Devendra Fadnavis is in government, then the reservation stays. It is a big day for the Maratha community," he said.
The state government had convened a one-day special session of the state legislature for tabling and further consideration of this special Bill.
The bill for the 10 per cent Maratha quota that the Mahayuti government of Eknath Shinde has approved on Tuesday is similar to the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes Act, 2018, introduced by the then Devendra Fadnavis government.
This is the third time in a decade that the state has introduced legislation for the Maratha quota.
The reservation has been extended based on a report submitted to the state government by the Maharashtra Backward Class Commission (MBCC) headed by chairman Justice (Retired) Sunil Shukre.
The state already has a 10 per cent quota for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in which the Marathas are the biggest beneficiaries, claiming about 85 per cent of those.
The Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission on Friday submitted a report on the social and educational backwardness of the Maratha community for which it had undertaken a survey of around 2.5 crore homes within only nine days.
The committee proposed a 10 per cent reservation for Marathas in education and jobs, similar to that of the previous bill brought in 2018 by the then-state government. (ANI)