MUSLIMS TOO RAISE DEMAND FOR QUOTA

Taking a cue from the Maratha community, which is seeking reservations in job and employment, the Muslim community too has decided to raise similar demand.

Over the next one month, several Muslim organisations have decided to hold consultations and public meetings, asking the State government to provide reservation to Muslims in education. On Monday, political leaders cutting across party lines –Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen MLA Waris Pathan and Congress MLAs Arif Naseem Khan and Amin Patel —met and discussed to form a committee to lobby for Muslim reservation. The community has alleged that the Maharashtra government is ignoring the Bombay High Court’s order, which had upheld the order of five per cent reservation to Muslims in education. The community has decided to hold a silent protest march on October 8 in Mumbra. Following that they also plan to carry out similar peaceful protests in Mumbai, Malegaon, Nashik and gradually in the rest of the country. In a press conference on Wednesday in Thane, several religious leaders of the Muslim community addressed the media. Maulana Naseem Ahmed Faridi said that despite High Court’s order the government is not implementing the reservation for Muslim and the condition of the community is worse than the Dalits in the country. The Maulana added that they also demand from the state government that Maratha community should get reservation in job and education.