Mumbai, May 6 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday accused the opposition of trying to incite the Maratha community after the Supreme Court quashed the 2018 state law giving reservation in government jobs and education to the social group.

Without naming the BJP, the Congress leader, who heads a sub-committee on Maratha reservation, said the opposition was indulging in "West Bengal-like political game" which would only endanger the lives of common people in the state.

Speaking to reporters here, Chavan said, Some leaders from the opposition are trying to incite the Maratha community after the Maharashtra governments act awarding reservation to community was struck down by the Supreme Court.

"Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the opposition should not indulge in a shameless act like the one in West Bengal and jeopardise the lives of common people."

Chavan was apparently referring to the post-poll violence in the eastern state, where the BJP lost the assembly elections to the TMC.

The Maratha community should not fall pray to misinformation and incitement by some people from the opposition.

"Such tactics are intended to destabilise the state government and that, too, in the pandemic situation, the Congress minister said.

Responding to a question that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government did not try enough to win the quota case so to stop the BJP from taking credit for the move, he said all political parties had supported the reservation bill in the state legislature.

When the then chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis (of the BJP) tabled the bill in 2018, it was not objected to by any political party during discussion.

"The BJP is in power at the Centre and it has all powers to give reservation to the Maratha community," he said.

Chavan suggested the BJP's Maratha quota move was perhaps linked to the 2019 assembly elections.

I still wonder whether Fadnavis tabled the bill and got it cleared in the assembly and the council with an eye on next years assembly elections (2019), he said.

The MVA government consists of the Congress, the NCP and the Congress.

The Maharashtra State Reservation (of seats for admission in educational institutions in the State and for appointments in the public services and posts under the State) for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act 2018 was enacted to grant reservation to people of the Maratha community.

On Wednesday, the apex court termed the quota law as "unconstitutional" and held that there were no exceptional circumstances to justify breach of the 50 per cent reservation cap set by the 1992 Mandal verdict.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)