AIMIM MLA withdraws HC plea challenging Maha Maratha quota

All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel Tuesday withdrew his petition challenging the Maharashtra government's decision to give 16 per cent quota to the Maratha community.

The AIMIM legislator from Aurangabad had filed the petition in the Bombay High Court earlier this month.

Jaleel's petition had demanded that the 16 per cent reservation announced for the Maratha community be revoked and the State Backward Class Commission (SBCC) report, which recommended such quota, be scrapped.

"The situation has changed after the Centre announced 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) among the non-reserved category. We hope the Muslim community benefits from this as well," Jaleel told reporters Tuesday.

"I am withdrawing my petition until there is more clarity on the implementation of the 10 per cent quota," he said in Aurangabad.

Jaleel, however, said he would consider re-filing the petition if the minority community failed to get benefits from the 10 per cent reservation for EWS in the general category.

Jaleel further said while he had filed the petition for some conclusion on the long-pending Muslim reservation issue, he was disappointed at the lack of support from Muslim MLAs from across party lines on it.