Mumbai, Feb 27 (NIE): The state government is likely to commence its arguments before the Bombay High Court on Wednesday on the petitions against reservation sanctioned to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions.

A division bench of Justice Ranjit More and Justice Bharati H Dangre, which is hearing the final arguments in the matter, Tuesday told the last set of petitioners that it will grant them some time to argue and then the state shall begin with its argument.

Counsel S B Talekar, appearing in a petition filed by seven persons from various Muslim organisations, challenging the Maratha reservation on the ground of “hostile discrimination”, told the court the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) report was the “handiwork of manipulations” and it was “disastrous to have passed reservation on the basis of such report”. He said the dissenting opinions recorded by four of the 11 MSBCC members has not been mentioned in the final report.