Hyderabad: The Telangana government on Sunday clarified that it is not reducing the Muslim quota in government jobs, and stated that no such rule or discussion was made. It termed any talk of such a thing as ”fake news”.
In a statement released on Sunday, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government said, “The Telangana State and Subordinate Service Rules 1996 was recently amended to increase the reservation for Scheduled Tribes from 6% to 10%. No changes have been made in the said rules with regard to Muslim [BC(E)] reservations. It stands at 4% and remains unchanged.”
The statement further asked citizens not to “adhere to fake news or false rumours that are being constantly circulated online.
“It is urged not to attach any credence to such false reports in social media and action will also be initiated against those who spread such false rumours,” the statement from the Telangana govt on jobs concluded.
Background
The confusion started on November 18 after the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee political affairs committee convener, Mohammed Ali Shabbir, expressed serious concern over reports of the Telangana government reducing the Muslim quota in government jobs from the existing 4% to 3%.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Shabbir Ali informed that he has written a letter to Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) seeking clarification.
“As you are aware that 14 socially and economically backward groups, placed under the BC-E category, among Muslims are entitled to a 4% quota in government jobs and educational institutions since 2004-05 (Initially, it was 5% and it was reduced to 4% as per the directions of the High Court in 2007-08). This was challenged in the Andhra Pradesh High Court and then the matter went to the Supreme Court. The Apex Court granted the stay in March 2010 and ordered the continuation of the 4% Muslim quota until the matter is finally resolved by the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court. The matter is pending for hearing in the Supreme Court,” Shabbir Ali said in his letter to KCR.
Shabbir Ali said that the Congress would approach the court if the TRS government does not “rectify its mistake and restore the 4% Muslim quota”.
