Mumbai: Days after NCP leader and minister Nawab Malik’s 5% quota claim, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday declared that the state government had not taken any decision regarding the 5% reservation to Muslims in education in Maharashtra.
It must be recalled that Nawab Malik had declared on the floor of the House that the state government will soon promulgate an ordinance to implement Muslim reservation in educational institutions from the coming academic year.
Speaking at a press conference at Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday Thackeray said, “At a time when such an issue has not even come up in front of the government, some people are banging their heads on it. We haven’t yet talked about it. I haven’t yet taken a stand on it. Why this premature issue? They should conserve their energy.”
News18 stated that while Thackeray targeted the BJP by saying that the former ally was unnecessarily banging its head over the issue, the real target, many believe, was the NCP.
While Thackeray’s deputy and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar refused to speak on it, Cabinet minister and NCP Maharashtra President Jayant Patil echoed Thackeray saying that the issue hasn’t yet come up in front of the government.
Several senior leaders of the ruling parties said it was an unnecessary bid for one-upmanship by Malik.
It must be recalled that Shiv Sena had supported 5% reservation to Muslims in education, when the Bombay High Court had upheld it during the last government’s tenure.