Maratha Reservations Issue: A Timeline

The demand for Maratha reservation dates back to the 1980s. Here is a timeline of more recent events.

2008-09: Former CMs - Sharad Pawar, Vilasrao Deshmukh lends support to the demand

2009-14: Political parties, organisations come out in support of the demand for reservation to the Marathas

25 June, 2014: The Congress-NCP Democratic Front government, then headed by Prithviraj Chavan, approves a proposal to reserve 16% of government jobs and seats in educational institutions for Marathas and 5% for Muslims.

31 October, 2014: Devendra Fadnavis sworn in CM of Maharashtra of BJP government with indirect support of NCP

5 December, 2014: Shiv Sena joins the BJP government, offers stability

14 November, 2014: Bombay High Court stays the decision of the previous Democratic Front government to provide 16 per cent reservations to Marathas in government jobs and educational institutions.

15 November, 2014: BJP-Sena government decides to move Supreme Court

18 December, 2014: Supreme Court refuses to vacate the Bombay High Court's interim order staying reservation for Maratha community in public employment in Maharashtra.

6 January, 2015: Government decides to tender additional information in the Bombay High Court for supporting reservations to Marathas

13 July, 2016: Rape and murder of a Maratha girl at Kopardi in Ahmednagar district that fuels the demand of rights of the community

9 August, 2016: First Maratha Kranti Morcha held in Aurangabad

6 November, 2016: Maratha bike rally held in Mumbai

20 November, 2016: Maratha morcha held in New Delhi

5 December 2016: Maharashtra government files an affidavit to justify the reservation for Marathas as legal and that it did not violate constitutional provisions.

14 December, 2016: Maratha morcha held in Nagpur when the winter session of Maharashtra legislature was in progress

9 August, 2017: Massive Maratha morcha held in Mumbai

November, 2017: All accused in Kopardi case sentenced to death by a Sessions Court in Ahmednagar

July, 2018: Maratha reservations issue rocks the monsoon session of Maharashtra legislature in Nagpur

17 July, 2018: Maratha associations meet in Pandharpur, decides not to allow CM Devendra Fadnavis to hold puja of Lord Vitthal-Rukmini on ashadi ekadashi on 23 July

22 July, 2018: CM cancels trip to Pandharpur, says his govt supports demand for reservation to Maratha but ball in court

23 July, 2018: Youth jumps into Godavari river in Aurangabad to demand reservation to Maratha community