Business Standard

Demand for Muslim reservation in Maha not new: Congress

Azad said Kerala,Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and AP have quota for backward Muslims

Press Trust of India Srinagar
Congress today said the demand of reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra was not unprecedented as quota for the community was already in place in four southern states of the country.

"Maharashtra is not the first state. Kerala has the quota for Muslims, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and even Andhra Pradesh had implemented the quota. All the four southern states of India have quota for backward Muslims," Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters here.

Azad, however, said the reservations in these states were provided for backward Muslims based on the recommendations of a commission formed for this purpose.
 

"These states had to make a commission for that and then get it recommended. After that the quota was given. So there is precedence in the country and it can be implemented elsewhere," he added.

Azad said he was not sure whether the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre will approve the proposal of Maharashtra government.

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First Published: Jun 24 2014 | 5:00 PM IST

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