3 months ago
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The Maharashtra Government’s caller determination to rescind the 5% preservation for the Muslim community successful acquisition institutions and nationalist employment has been challenged successful the Bombay High Court.
Advocate Ejaz Naqvi has filed a nationalist involvement litigation (PIL) seeking the contiguous quashing of the authorities solution (GR) issued connected Tuesday (February 17, 2026). The petition, which is apt to beryllium mentioned for an urgent proceeding earlier the High Court, has questioned the rationale down the abrupt withdrawal of the quota, a determination that has reignited a governmental and ineligible statement successful the State.
Also Read: What the scrapping of preservation means for Muslims successful Maharashtra
The State’s Social Justice and Special Assistance Department issued a GR, formally cancelling the December 2014 determination that had initially granted the 5% preservation to the Muslim community. With the issuance of the caller order, the authorities has besides instantly halted the process of issuing and validating caste certificates for claimants nether this category.
The petition argues that the rescinding notification is arbitrary and fails to supply a substantive justification for reversing a argumentation that has been successful spot for astir a decade. It has raised “tough questions” regarding the government’s stance, pointing to the abrupt uncertainty created among beneficiaries who were successful the process of availing the reservation.
The archetypal quota was introduced successful the backdrop of the 2014 Assembly elections. The erstwhile Congress-NCP Government had projected a 16% preservation for the Maratha assemblage and a abstracted 5% quota for Muslims. According to the petition’s submissions, the connection was tabled successful the furniture by the past Minority Welfare Minister, Naseem Khan, and was passed unanimously without immoderate discussion.
However, some quotas faced ineligible challenges.
While the Maratha quota was yet struck down by the Supreme Court, the Muslim quota had besides been nether judicial scrutiny. The caller petition contends that the existent government’s determination to cancel the preservation outright, 10 years later, is simply a regressive measurement that volition adversely interaction a marginalised conception of society.
