All India Muslim Jamaat President Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi on Friday, 18 September 2026, declared that reservation is no longer necessary in India, arguing that the socio-economic conditions that originally justified the policy have fundamentally transformed. His remarks came amid an intensifying debate over reservation demands in Maharashtra.

Bareilvi's Core Argument

Speaking from Bareilly, Bareilvi contended that the material circumstances of communities that once depended on reservation have improved considerably. 'The conditions have changed to a great extent for people. The houses of those who used to have thatched roofs now live in well-built homes,' he said.

He further noted that households that once could not afford a bicycle now own 'two to three motorcycles and four-wheeler vehicles.' On the strength of these changes, he argued that 'now no section needs reservation; everyone should be given General status, so there is no discrimination.'

The Maharashtra Context

Bareilvi linked his statement directly to the unrest over quotas in Maharashtra, where multiple communities have been demanding reservation in quick succession. He warned that such demands could 'cause the downfall of the governments, and put them on the backfoot,' calling for the situation to be brought under control.

'I have witnessed that in the last two-three decades the nation has achieved many strides, and that issue of reservation should now be resolved,' he said. Notably, Maharashtra has seen sustained agitation particularly around Maratha reservation, a politically sensitive issue that has tested successive state governments.

BJP MLA Ram Kadam on Maratha Quota

Separately, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ram Kadam weighed in on the Congress party's concerns regarding the OBC quota within the Maratha reservation framework. He defended Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying the CM 'was the one who gave the first reservation' to the Maratha community.

Kadam said that of the community's 13 demands, 12 have been fulfilled. 'The 13th demand comes under the jurisdiction of the court. It won't hold in the court of law,' he said, adding that 'the people of Maharashtra understand that the current state government stands with them.'

Why This Debate Matters

Reservation policy in India remains one of the most contested political and constitutional questions, with communities across the spectrum — including Marathas, OBCs, and others — pressing competing claims. Critics of Bareilvi's position argue that aggregate economic improvement does not erase caste-based discrimination, which reservation was designed to address beyond income alone. Constitutional experts note that the Supreme Court has consistently upheld reservation as a tool against structural inequality, not just poverty.

With Maharashtra heading into a period of continued political sensitivity around caste arithmetic, both statements are likely to generate significant debate across party lines.