Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said his government remained committed to addressing the demands of the Maratha community on the reservation issue while ensuring that the interests of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) were not compromised.
He also stressed that any decision taken by the government on the quota issue would have to withstand constitutional and judicial scrutiny.
Fadnavis made the remarks while speaking to reporters after inspecting a compressed biogas plant at Bhandewadi in Nagpur. He was responding to questions about Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, who began an indefinite hunger strike in Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district earlier in the day.
Jarange has renewed his demand for the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community to enable them to avail OBC reservation benefits. He has also sought implementation of the Hyderabad and Satara Gazette records and withdrawal of cases registered against Maratha protesters who participated in the reservation agitation.
Fadnavis said, "The government has always been positive on this issue. Whenever difficulties arose, the government took decisions. The government's stand is transparent and positive, and it will remain positive in the future as well."
He said the state government was committed to working for all communities and would not encourage conflict between social groups.
"The decisions taken by me and Eknath Shinde for the Maratha community have never been taken before in history. We will continue to take decisions in the community's interest," he said.
At the same time, the chief minister emphasised that reservation-related decisions must remain within the framework of the Constitution and judicial directives.
"We have to follow the Constitution and the directions given by the high court and the Supreme Court. A decision taken outside that framework may bring publicity, but it will not survive legal scrutiny," he said.
"We will take every decision that can stand the test of the Constitution and the courts," he added.
The Maratha reservation issue has also drawn opposition from OBC groups, which have consistently argued that granting reservation benefits to Marathas from the existing OBC quota would dilute their entitlements.
Addressing these concerns, Fadnavis said the government would not favour one community at the expense of another.
"This government has never taken benefits away from one community to give them to another, and it never will," he said.
"The OBC community has no reason to fear. We will address the concerns of the Maratha community, but we will not allow any injustice to the OBC community," he added.
Responding to questions on the demand for a government resolution (GR) related to the Maratha reservation issue, Fadnavis said discussions were ongoing.
"I do not want to go into details now, but we are ready to take any decision within the framework of the Constitution and the law," he said.
(With inputs from PTI)