What the scrapping of reservation means for Muslims in Maharashtra

The Maharashtra government has issued an order scrapping the issuing of caste verification certificates and the validation process for 5% reservation for backward communities among Muslims in education. This decision comes after a legal tangle that prevented its implementation since December 2014, when the ordinance lapsed. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan criticized the move, stating it was "infructuous" as the community was not benefiting from the reservation and questioned why the BJP-led government scrapped the decision soon after Ajit Pawar's demise. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan demanded that a law be enacted to provide the reservation immediately, while Amin Patel, who has been fighting for Muslim reservation in education, termed it a "lost battle."