By TCN Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Spiritual leader and former lawmaker Maulana Wali Rahmani has that considering religion a hurdle in the way of religion is unconstitutional because the practical base of reservation envisaged in the Constitution is religion, not economic or educational backwardness. He was reacting on the recent order of Andhra Pradesh High Court abolishing the 4.5% minority quota within 27% OBC quota.
Maulana Rahmani said the high court verdict on minority quota runs contrary to the provisions of Constitution. He said Constitution allows quota to educationally and economically backward classes. Today only Muslims are educationally backward community in India, and this has been repeatedly said by HRD ministry and Home Ministry in their reports for a long time. And the economic condition has been explained by Sachar report, so how can quota for Muslims be rejected? Maulana Rahmani asked.
Maulana Wali Rahmani
But giving proof of religion based quota from the same constitution, the maulana said it is a fact that first reservation in India was started to keep dalits Hindu. If a dalit becomes Muslim, he will be deprived of quota facilities but if he returns back to Hinduism, then again he will enjoy the same quota, said he bringing home the point that the practical shape of this quota says that the real basis of quota is not economic or educational backwardness, but religion. So, to think religion a hurdle in quota is wrong, he said.
However, he did not support the 4.5% minority quota saying it has been brought to create infighting between Muslims and dalits. He demanded that Muslims should be given reservation as per the recommendation of Ranganath Mishra Commission report. The panel has recommended 10% quota for Muslims alone.