Fadnavis to oppose 5 percent Muslim reservation proposal

Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said his party, BJP, will oppose the 5 percent reservation for Muslims as proposed by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

“We oppose the Muslim reservation or any reservation which is given on the basis of religion,” Mr. Fadnavis told media when asked whether BJP will support the long-awaited Muslim reservation in the state.

“Any reservation which is against the Constitution needs to be opposed. Muslim reservation is being given on the basis of religion. So, we will be opposing this reservation as it is anti-Constitutional. We will not support anything which is anti-constitutional,” he said.

The MVA government has promised a 5 percent reservation to the Muslims in the state. The demand for reservation was pending for several years.

On January 31, Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh had said that the state government will soon bring Muslim reservations since it was a part of the alliance government’s common minimum program.

“MVA government will soon bring Muslim reservation as it is a part of the grand alliance’s common minimum programme,” Mr Shaikh had told news agency ANI.

The Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have formed a coalition government in Maharashtra led by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.