Devendra Fadnavis-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has officially decided to scrap the decision of providing reservation in education to the Muslim community in Maharashtra. Govt had earlier stated that it was against reservation on religious grounds. However the govt also not indicated the plans to introduce a law to replace the ordinance, which lapsed in December last year. “The ordinance dated December 23, 2014 could not be converted into an Act. In view of this situation, we have decided to scrap this ordinance,†said a circular issued on Tuesday by the General Administration Department. Fadnavis’ successors, the Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance on July 11, 2014 allowing 16 % quota to the Marathas and 5% in education and jobs to 50 Muslims communities by including them under a newly formed category Special Backward Category-A. After the decision was challenged, the reservation for Marathas was however struck down during a hearing in Bombay High Court but quota for muslims continued in education and not jobs. Meanwhile BJP came into the power in Maharashtra and challenged the overturning of quota for Marathas and appointed a committee to suggest potential solutions, but did not make a similar move to examine the HC order on Muslim reservation in jobs.
