‘No reservation for Muslim communities’

MUMBAI: While a number of schemes have been implemented for the upliftment of Muslims by the state government, the community would not be given any reservation, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking to the Free Press Journal on Monday, Fadnavis elaborated his stand on reservation for the Marathas, Dhangars and Muslims. He said, "Our Constitution does not allow reservation for any community on the grounds of religion. Hence, it is not possible for Muslims to get the benefit of reservation on religious grounds," said the chief minister. "We will take decisions which will be constitutional. Though we cannot give reservation to the minority community, we are doing better at bringing Muslims into the mainstream of development," said Fadnavis. He added that in as many as 605 educational courses, the state had awarded scholarship to Muslim students. The erstwhile Congress-Nationalist Congress alliance government had brought an ordinance before the 2014 assembly election, allowing five per cent reservation for the Muslim community. However, its successor, the BJP-led government, did not convert the ordinance into law, as a result of which the earlier government's decision lapsed. Speaking on reservation for Dhangars and Marathas, Fadnavis said the report of state backward class commission, pertaining to the Maratha quota would be received by November 15. He was confident about reservation for the Dhangar community. "Dhangars will get reservation, as the report from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) received by the state government is positive, as per preliminary information. Dhangars have already been given reservation and added to the special category. They want to move from Nomadic Tribes (NT) to Scheduled Tribes (STs). The decision to include any community in STs is in the jurisdiction of the union government. Our duty is to recommend the report to the Centre," said the chief minister.