By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net, ,
Mumbai: Maharashtra Muslims that form 12-14 % of the state population are disappointed after being left out of reservation by the new government. BJP led state coalition selectively tabled Maratha Reservation Bill in the Maharashtra Assembly last week and are now seeking legal advice to fulfill its demand of reservation through court of law.
Muslim organizations are now aggrieved with what they termed as government’s biased approach towards their community that has already been proved socially and economically backward by many government constituted committees and commissions.
Muslims protest in Aurangabad of Mahrashtra against BJP government’s decision of leaving out reservation to Muslims (Photo courtesy : UrduTimes)
Lok Vikas Party on Friday held ‘sit in’ in front of the Aurangabad city collector office and presented their memorandum of reservation demand to President of nation Pranab Mukherjee through the city collector.
Alleging that the BJP government is accomplishing its anti-minority agenda, Lok Vikas Party’s president Syed Abdur Rauf said during the protest, “We are not against reservation to Marathas but we do not understand why BJP led government is not providing reservation to Muslims despite findings of backwardness of the community by Sachhar, Mahemudur Raheman and Rangnath Mishra commissions”.
“Providing reservation only to Maratha and leaving out Muslims is nothing but injustice with the Muslim community and is an example of clear biased behavior of of the saffron parties”, he added.
“We have planned state wide agitation against government’s decision of leaving out Muslims from reservation from 2nd February “, he declared before handing over memorandum to the city collector.
Meanwhile, Muslim Reservation Front (MRF), the umbrella organisation fighting for reservation of Muslim community too have objected to the state government’s move and now has threatened to take the legal route.
ToI reported enraged MRF president Ajmal Khan as saying, “The move to selectively leave out the Muslim reservation bill by the BJP led government in the state on Tuesday, is the last thing to be expected from any government or party in a democratic country like ours. It is not at all accepted to any secular citizen of India and so we have decided to opt for the legal route against the alleged biased attitude of the BJP-Sena government.”
He also cited the recommendations made by Justice Rangnath Misra Commission and Sachar Committee, demanding that the reservation be given to Muslims in education, employment as well as legislature.
Young MRF leader Afzaal Khan said, “Our demand for reservation should be seen from a broader perspective. It is not only a meagre demand, but it is the struggle to bring the community in to the mainstream and contribute to the overall growth of the country. The country cannot be deemed as developed, when a certain section is left behind.”
Muslims in the state are getting united to display their anger towards no reservation and hence, for the purpose, reportedly morchas are being held in certain districts to register their displeasure and demand towards the government.
Muslims in Yavatmal city of Vidarbha have declared to hold a huge rally on Monday where huge numbers of Muslims are expected to join as there were number of appeals for joining were made during Friday prayer in every mosque in the city.
On 23rd December, the BJP-SS coalition government, in the state assembly, presented and passed a bill providing 16% reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs and left out the Muslim reservation bill, following which the entire opposition, including Congress, NCP, SP and MIM, demanded in the Assembly that the bill should provide reservation for Muslims too.
The previous Congress-NCP government had issued ordinances providing 16 per cent reservation in educational institutions and government jobs to the politically dominant Maratha community, and five per cent reservation to the Muslim community in June this year with an eye on the October Assembly elections.
But the decision was challenged in the Bombay High Court, which stayed the 16% reservation for Marathas in jobs and education introduced earlier this year and also put the 5% quota in public employment under a special backward class category to about 50 sub-castes among Muslims on hold.
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No reservation for Muslims as Maha BJP passes reservation bill only for Marathas