By A Mirsab, TwoCircles.net
Nagpur: Only a week after Maharashtra assembly’s winter session begun here, as many as 2 lakh Muslims flocked on the streets in the city and tried to send their voice inside the assembly demanding reservation and the preservation of Muslim personal laws.
A big rally was organized at the Indaura ground under the banner of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind and was addressed by ex-member of parliament and Jamiat’s national secretary Maulana Mahmood Madni, President of Jamiat Ulema-e-Maharashtra Hafiz Nadeem Siddique and many others.
The rally was peaceful, disciplined and no untoward incident happened during or after the rally. Only a day before, the Maratha community had organized a similar rally here demanding reservation.
Addressing the rally, Hafiz Nadeem Siddique said, “We have been organizing these rallies all over in Maharashtra but government is not paying attention to our demands. We have decided to hold a rally here as it is our CM’s city and hope now that our voice reaches his ears.”
Moulana Mahmood Madni also addressed the gathering and said that even after seventy years of Independence, the Muslim community is still struggling to join the mainstream and there is an urgent need for the government to help it so that the conditions improve.
“We are in dire need of reservation; we have to get it,” he said. He further requested Muslims to ignore their internal disputes and come under one roof for betterment and development purpose.
A delegation of Jamiat also met Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and handed him over a memorandum demanding reservation and non-interference in Muslims personal laws. Fadnavis told the delegation that his government is keen to bring minorities in the mainstream and since last two years, they have implemented many schemes but Muslim reservation matter is pending in the court and his government cannot interfere unless the court takes a decision.
It is notable that earlier, the Congress-led government had provided 5% reservation in government jobs for Muslims just before assembly polls in 2014. Congress lost the polls, BJP came into power and subsequently it has not renewed the reservation. Currently, the issue of reservation for Muslims is pending for adjudication before the Bombay High Court.
For the past few years, various Muslim NGOs have been protesting to get this reservation. Apart from Jamiat, Muslim Arakshan Kruti Samiti is also staging protests and conducting rallies at the Taluka and city level in the state.