Mumbai, Feb 18 (IANS) The Congress party on Wednesday strongly criticised the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra for its decision to “cancel” all previous Government Resolutions (GR) and circulars regarding the issuance of caste certificates and caste validity certificates to persons falling under the Special Backward Category-A within the Muslim community.
The party has claimed that the GR released by the government on Tuesday clearly means the reservation provided to the Muslim community has been cancelled.
Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president and MP Varsha Gaikwad termed the state government’s move extremely unfortunate. “We strongly condemn this decision. Instead of taking positive steps regarding the 5 per cent reservation announced in 2014 for education and employment, the government has simply scrapped the old processes. Citing the High Court’s interim stay and the ordinance becoming outdated as reasons, the government has dealt a severe blow to the rights of the Muslim community,” said Gaikwad in her post on X.
She further stated, “On one hand, they talk of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (Support for All, Development for All), and on the other, they close the avenues for obtaining necessary documents for reservation – isn’t this hypocrisy? Even though the Mumbai High Court has approved 5 per cent reservation for the Muslim community in education, its implementation has not taken place anywhere in Maharashtra to date. The government’s failure to implement the reservation approved by the court is detrimental to democracy.”
Gaikwad alleged that instead of bringing the backward sections of society into the mainstream, the state government has pushed them back into darkness.
The GR, issued by the Social Justice and Special Assistance Deputy Secretary Varsha Deshmukh on late Tuesday evening, was titled “The cancellation of Government Resolutions and Circulars concerning the issuance of Caste Certificates and Caste Validity Certificates to the Muslim community under the Special Backward Category – A (SBC-A) in the State”.
The GR referred to Maharashtra Ordinance No 14 of 2014, dated July 9, 2014, regarding reservation for SBC-A in educational institutions and public services, and the subsequent Corrigendum dated July 14, 2014, Government Resolution (GR), Minority Development Department, dated July 19, 2014, GR, Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, dated July 22, 2014, GR, General Administration Department, dated July 24, 2014, Government Circular, Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, dated August 28, 2014 and GR, General Administration Department, dated March 2, 2015.
“Under Maharashtra Ordinance No. 14 of 2014, 5% reservation was provided for the socially and educationally backward Muslim groups under the Special Backward Category – A (SBC-A) for recruitment in government and semi-government services and admissions in educational institutions. Following this, the Minority Development Department implemented this 5% reservation.Based on these directives, the Social Justice Department issued instructions regarding the procedure for issuing Caste Certificates and Caste Validity Certificates to the Muslim community under SBC-A,” read the GR.
The GR further stated, “However, Writ Petition No. 2053/2014 (Shri. Sanjit Shukla vs. State of Maharashtra) and other related petitions were filed in the Hon’ble High Court of Mumbai against the 2014 Ordinance. The Hon’ble High Court, via its order dated November 14, 2014, stayed the provision of 5% reservation in public services under Section 4(1) of the Ordinance.Furthermore, as the Ordinance dated July 9, 2014, was not converted into law by December 23, 2014, the Ordinance lapsed. Consequently, the GRs/Circulars issued in connection with it became void.”
The GR said the in light of this, the General Administration Department cancelled its earlier GR General Administration Department, dated July 24, 2014 via a new order on March 2, 2015. Therefore, the matter of cancelling the GRs/Circulars issued by this department was under the consideration of the Government.
“The implementation of this department’s Government Resolution dated July 22, 2014 and Government Circular dated August 28, 2014 is hereby stayed with effect from November 14, 2014,” read the GR.
–IANS
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