By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Lucknow: The Muslim Reservation Movement (MRM) served an ultimatum to the political parties to take the issue of Muslim reservation during coming winter session of parliament. The organization warned to intensify its agitation affecting their poll prospects during coming assembly elections.
The MRM which is a body of Muslim intellectual and clerics during its third regional conference at Mumtaz PG College on Sunday, warned Congress, while it appeared soft towards the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP).
“It is up to the Congress party to take up Muslim reservation issue in coming winter session. We are thankful to BSP supremo Mayawati for writing a letter in this regard to the Prime Minister,” said convenor MRM, Zafaryab Jilani.
In response to its demands from the political, the MRM received a letter of support from SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav while the BSP leader and MP Shafeequr Rehman Barq turned up during the conference. Congress MP Mohd Adeeb also attended the conference and urged them to have patience till December.
“By December the winter session will be over. So show us the results as we have waited for long,” said Jilani. “If the demand is not accepted before December, I would not come to seek votes,” replied Adeeb.
The main demands put forward by MRM include amendment in the Presidential Order of 1950, under Article 341 of Indian Constitution, thus categorizing Dalit Muslims for reservation and other facilities as accorded to Dalit Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs, for overall social emancipation.
“We also demand that the backward Muslims be given nine percent reservation within the 27 percent backward quota. For this there is no legal hurdle and this demand should be fulfilled before 2012 elections,” said Jilani.
The MRM also demanded reservation for non-creamy layer Muslims to be given reservation as recommended by Ranganath Mishra Commission report. Muslims to be given scholarships as SC students including zero fee admission.
Other political leaders who attended and also supported MRM demands included state president of Peace Party, Dr Abdul Mannan, Ulema Council Chief Maulana Amir Rashadi, State President, Janta Dal (Secular) Ashok Yadav, Khalid Masood of Rashtriya Lok Dal, SQR Ilyas of Welfare Party of India and Dr M Aijaz Ali.