MUMBAI: BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the Supreme Court's decision to stay the implementation of the Maratha reservation act "shocked" him.
The apex court's decision was rare as the Bombay High Court had upheld the 2018 Act providing for quota to the community in government jobs and education in Maharashtra, the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly said.
The Supreme Court last week stayed the implementation of the act and referred it to a larger Constitution bench.
"I was shocked when I learnt about the Supreme Court's stay order," Fadnavis told a news channel.
"The Supreme Court's decision is rare because the act had been upheld by the the state high court," he said.
The act was passed when Fadnavis led a BJP-Shiv Sena government in the state.
"Other states such as Rajasthan tried passing similar laws (to provide reservation) for some communities but those laws were struck down by high courts," Fadnavis said.
"The high court in Maharashtra had upheld the act," he said.
Fadnavis also accused the present Shiv Sena-led government in the state of not being ready to "take up the challenge of pursuing the matter to its logical end".
"Instead of making logical arguments, some leaders are pointing fingers at the Centre for not cooperating over the matter. It is a lame excuse to divert attention from its (the state government's) own poor performance," he said.