Opposition, NGOs assail Maharashtra govt's move to scrap quota for Muslims

The BJP Govt scrapped 5% Muslim quota in education

The Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and various non-governmental organisations and Muslim outfits plan to launch state-wide demonstrations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government's decision to scrap an ordinance providing reservation for Muslims. The opposition parties would try to corner the government in the Assembly during the Budget session, slated to start from Monday.

The government has taken a decision in this regard, despite the Bombay High Court allowing quota for the community in educational institutions. The state government issued notification on Tuesday, saying that the ordinance, which lapsed in December last year, could not b converted into an Act. A minister, who did not want to be named, defended the  government's move, saying it was against reservation on religious grounds. The Shiv Sena also justified the decision.

Senior NCP leader Dhananjay Munde alleged that the state government has shown that it was against the Muslim community. ''The BJP-led government since beginning was dilly-dallying on the quota for Muslims. NCP supports quota in jobs and education for Mulsims and will take on the government,'' he told Business Standard.

On the other hand, newly appointed president of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Ashok Chavan condemned the decision. Former minister for minorities welfare Naseem Khan blamed the BJP-led government for being communal and said the Congress would hold demonstrations across the state and aggressively take up the issue in the state legislature.

The Congress-NCP government, ahead of the state assembly elections, had issued an ordinance on July 11, 2014 to provide 16 per cent quota for Maratha community and 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in government-run schools and colleges and also in jobs. The high court November 14 last year struck down reservation for the Marathas, but allowed the Muslim quota in educational institutions, but not in jobs.

The state government challenged the overturning of quota for Marathas and appointed a committee to suggest potential solutions, but did not make a similar move to examine the HC order on Muslim reservation in jobs.

Congress MP and Maulana Azad Vichar Manch President Hussian Dailwai said the quota was quite essential for the uplift of the community. ''Muslims constitute 11.8 per cent of the state population and the condition of those living below poverty line in particular is very bad. The community members need to be brought to the main stream. On behalf of the Manch, a signature campaign to press quota will be soon launched and thereafter a state-wide agitation will be organised,'' he added.

Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra President Maulana Mustakim Azmi said the government's decision will further make the Muslim community backward as already there are hardly any opportunities in jobs. ''For the empowerment of the community, reservation for Muslims is necessary, as it not based on religious grounds but on social and economic backwardness. Jamiat will continue to pursue this demand,” he said.