By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The All India Momin Conference, an organization of Muslim weavers and artisans, termed the 4.5 percent quota of OBC minorities offered by Congress as an eye-wash.
The organization demanded reservation in proportion to the population of Muslims. “It is a political gimmick of restricting Muslims to 4.5 percent OBC quota. We demand quota for all the Muslims and that too in proportion to their population,” said secretary general Feroze Ahmed Ansari.
The organization also demanded that the Clause in Presidential Order (1950) which prevents Muslims from attaining SC status be revoked and they should be given SC status like other communities.
The leaders also remained critical of the weaver’s package announced by the UPA government. “Such packages have been announced in the past also but have failed to address the problems of weavers. Usually the funds are siphoned away by the state government in other schemes. It is better if the benefit directly reaches in the bank account of the weaver” he added.
However, the organization did not commit on supporting any political party in the elections. “We are not politically inclined and cannot give a call to our community for supporting any particular party. At the most it can be tactical voting in every segment where the most deserving candidate can win the election,” he said.