By A. Mirsab, TwoCircles.net,
Mumbai: While talking to the Urdu newspapers reporters Arif Naseem Khan, Maharashtra Minority Minister, has hailed the decision of Maharashtra government to allow 5 % reservation to Muslims in Jobs and education and termed it as historic and exemplar for other states.
He told reporters that the reservation to Muslims was accorded not on the basis of religion but due to the socio-economic backwardness of the community which has been suggested by state appointed Mahemudur Raheman Committee that had proposed for providing 8% reservation to the state Muslims after minutely studying social, educational and economical background of the community for 8 years.
Muhammad Arif Naseem Khan (Courtesy: daylivepics.com)
He also said that before announcing reservation for Muslims, government has taken all legal aspect in consideration and have considered recommendations of Sachar and Ranganath Mishra commission who had studied issues of Muslims and suggested reservation for Muslims.
He told reporters with confidence that after studying recommendations of three committees or commissions the government referred reservation issue to backward commission and after its approval, the state formally decided on providing 5% reservation to Muslims.
When he was countered on the timing of the reservation declaration which is couple of months before assembly polls, he said, “If there would have been any political motive behind it then we could have declared it before Lok Sabha elections”.
“The state has been serious on providing reservation to Muslims and was studying all legal hurdles before making it a fact,” he added.
He was asked whether it will survive the legal hurdles of maximum 50% reservation in any state as declared by Supreme Court because with the recent declaration there will have 73% reservations in Maharashtra, he replied, “It will not be illegal as it has been provided on the basis of backwardness of the community and not religion. Already there are some states where reservation is more than 50%. Also in one of the case Honorable Supreme Court has clearly stated that if the reservation is provided on the basis of backwardness then it is not illegal”.
While answering to the question of objection raised by BJP on Muslim reservation he said, “Modi and BJP look at every Muslims’ favoring decision as illegal and therefore we need not bother about their objection on this issue.”
He was caught off-guard when was questioned if this reservation declaration will meet the same fate as that of UPA’s initiative of providing reservation to Muslims in the country. He said, “If that happens then we are ready to fight legal battle before court as we have minutely studied all aspects and are very much serious about providing Muslims reservation in the state.”
As per Mr. Naseem Khan the reservation scheme will come into effect next week after the notification of state government and Muslims can start benefiting from it. He clarified that this 5 % reservation is excluding Muslim OBC who are already covered under OBC quota in the state.
He also informed that the state government is running 15 polytechnic colleges in the state for minority considering their educational status and that a Hajj house is being built in Aurangabad city on the line of Hajj house in Nagpur which is costing Rs. 32 crore.