Lucknow: Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan has demanded 5% quota for Muslims out of the proposed 10% by the central government for the economically weaker upper castes.
Meanwhile, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Tuesday urged the Centre to amend the proposed Bill to provide 10% reservation for economically backward people in the general category to include Telangana's demand for quota for backward Muslims and Scheduled Tribes.
Speaking to News18 in Rampur on Tuesday, Azam Khan said, “Muslims should get 5% quota out of the proposed 10% by the central government. The proposed reservation is for economically weaker upper castes, however today the economic, financial and social conditions of Muslims are even worse than Dalits. We had also earlier demanded that Muslims should be brought in the category of Dalits so that they can also get the benefits like them. However, that could not happen due to some political reasons. Now we demand 5% reservation for Muslims in the proposed 10% quota by the central government." Khan pointed out that reservation for Muslims was also recommended by the Sacchchar Commission almost a decade ago.
Earlier, speaking on the proposed 10% reservation for economically weaker upper castes, Samajwadi Party’s spokesperson had termed the move as one intended to “fool" people and pointed out that the BJP is yet to deliver on its past promises.
In Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister and TRS President K Chandrashekhar Rao directed his party MPs to demand the amendments to the Bill when it is taken up in Parliament.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, recalled that the Telangana Assembly had passed a resolution for providing 12% reservation for backward Muslims and 10% reservation for STs and had sent the same to the Union government.
"This resolution should be introduced in Parliament," said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.
As the central government has decided to take up the issue of reservations, KCR asked the MPs to raise the issue of providing reservation to the backward Muslims and STs and demand amendment to the Bill to this effect.
The Telangana Assembly had passed a Bill in 2017 enhancing reservations for backward Muslims and STs in the government jobs and educational institutions.
As the enhancement of quota will take the overall quantum of reservation in the state to over 50 per cent, KCR urged the Centre to include the State legislation into 9th Schedule of the Constitution as was done in the case of Tamil Nadu. The Centre has not yet acted on the State's request.
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