Shabbir Ali condemns Dy CM’s remarks on Muslim reservation

Leader of Opposition in Telangana State Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly condemned Deputy Chief Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali for his remarks questioning the seriousness of previous Congress Government in implementing 4% Muslim reservation.

 

In a media statement, Shabbir Ali said that the Deputy CM literally lacks knowledge and understanding of the subject of Muslim reservation. He said that the Congress Government provided reservation to Muslims in exact 58 days after coming to power in 2004. Despite legal hurdles, first 5 per cent and then 4 per cent reservation for Muslims is in implementation for the last 12 years. It was only during 2005-06 that 5% quota for Muslims could not be implemented in educational institutions due to legal problems. The Muslim reservation has benefitted more than 10 lakh poor Muslims in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the last 12 years. The Deputy CM should avoid giving blind statements on sensitive issues like Muslim reservation,” he said.

 

Shabbir Ali said that all the cases of reservation, including 69% quota in Tamil Nadu, is subjudice. Similarly, the case of 4% Muslim reservation is pending before the Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court. However, the then Congress Government effectively represented the case in the Supreme Court and secured stay to continue the implementation of 4% quota in jobs and education. He advised Mahmood Ali to undergo a crash course on the subject of Muslim Reservation or get information from the website www.muslimreservation.in.

 

He said that the then Congress Government dealt with Muslim reservation with utmost precaution and ensured continuance of its implementation. He said reservation given to different communities after Indra Sawhney case of 1992 could not withstand the legal battle. He said the respective State Governments could not provide reservation to Jats in Haryana, Patels in Gujarat, Gujjars in Rajasthan and Kapus in Andhra Pradesh. Such a situation was prevented in case of 4% Muslim reservation in the State, he said.

 

The Congress leader said that the Deputy CM should question Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for the delay in providing promised 12% Muslim reservation. “KCR has promised to give 12% Muslim reservation within four months after coming to power. Mahmood Ali should pull up the Chief Minister for his failure to honour the promise. The Chief Minister only bought time in the name of Sudhir Commission and now he is cheating the community by promising a BC Commission. Instead of being apologetic for not fulfilling the promise, the TRS Government is finding fault with the Congress party which empowered the Muslims educationally, economically and politically,” he said.

 

Shabbir Ali said that the TRS Government could not achieve even 10% of what previous Congress Governments did for minorities, especially Muslims in Telangana. He said all the announcements made by the Chief Minister for Muslims are proving to be hollow and farce. He asked Mahmood Ali to do a serious introspection before making any comments on Congress party, especially on the issue of Muslim reservation.(NSS)