Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray To Meet PM Modi Tomorrow

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday, state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil was today quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Mr Patil said the Chief Minister would lead a delegation that includes Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to discuss issues like Maratha and OBC reservation, and Cyclone Tauktae relief measures.

"A delegation of the Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar will meet Prime Minister Modi in Delhi tomorrow. They will discuss issues like Maratha and Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation and Cyclone Tauktae relief," he said.

Last month Mr Thackeray wrote to the Prime Minister and requested him to take steps to declare the Maratha community in the state as a SEBC (Socially and Educationally Backward), so they could claim reservation in educational institutions (12 per cent) and public employment (13 per cent).

His request followed a Supreme Court order last week that struck down the "unconstitutional" quota.

The five-judge bench pointed out the 2018 law that allowed for quota for Marathas had pushed reservation over the current 50 per cent cap.

On May 31 the Maharashtra government extended EWS (economically weaker section) benefits - including 10 per cent reservation - to the Maratha community,

The quota will be applicable from the period of interim stay on September 9, 2020, to the final verdict by the Supreme Court in May 5 this year, the government order had said.

Reservation was given to Marathas in 2018 by the Devendra Fadnavis government.

The centre had then supported the quota, after Mr Fadnavis allowed it to the politically influential community after escalating protests. 

The Bombay High Court had also upheld the quota but its decision was paused by the Supreme Court.

Mr Thackeray's visit also comes after an editorial in the ruling Shiv Sena's mouthpiece - 'Saamna' - which said the battle to "destabilise politics of Maharashtra" would be fought in Delhi.

"The collision will prove to be decisive. To destabilise politics of Maharashtra, opposition will use the issue of the Maratha reservation as a weapon, then they will have to stop it in time," it said last month.

With input from PTI