State govt responsible for SC striking down OBC quota in local bodies: Fadnavis to Uddhav

In a letter to Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Leader of Opposition in state Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis, on Saturday held the state responsible for Supreme Court’s decision to strike down reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) in local bodies.

In March, the SC had ruled that reservation for OBC is only “statutory”, unlike the “constitutional” reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and the extent of reservation given to the former in local bodies cannot be such that it will take the total reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs beyond 50 per cent ceiling.

“The court verdict is an outcome of Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena government’s total negligence. The government was never serious in pursuing the matter,” Fadnavis wrote. While the state’s review petition in SC remained uncontested, it did not comply with Supreme Court recommendations, he claimed.

“The Supreme Court had asked the state to set up a backward class commission and produce data to justify reservation for OBC in local bodies… The government failed to take requisite measures… thus, jeopardising prospects of OBC reservation in local bodies.”

State Congress president Nana Patole held BJP responsible for the SC order.

“When the case was in court, the government had to conduct a census and declare a list. The Supreme Court said the numbers of OBC should be mentioned but the Centre could not provide the latest figures. Hence, the Supreme Court took the decision.”