Telangana govt hikes Muslim quota to 12%
hyderabad — With all the five BJP members suspended for the day, the Telangana assembly on Sunday unanimously passed a bill to hike the reservation quota for backward Muslims and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) to 12 and 10 per cent respectively.
Barring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which vehemently opposed the bill both inside and outside of the assembly, the entire opposition supported the Backward Class, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Reservation Bill, 2017, which will be now debated and passed by the state legislative council on Sunday evening.
As soon as the day-long special session of the legislature began, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao moved the bill to raise from the existing four per cent to 12 per cent the quota for the socially and economically backward among the Muslims under the Backward Classes (E) category. The reservations for the Scheduled Tribes in educational institutions and government jobs has been increased from 6 per cent to 10 per cent.
After the state legislative council would pass it by late Sunday evening, the bill would be sent for the President’s assent with a request to include it in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution as was done in the case of Tamil Nadu. Replying to
Why can’t we give them reservation? Why should they be denied reservation just because they are Muslims? Are they not part of this country? Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana Chief Minister
debate on the bill, Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao said if the Centre refuses to accept Telengana’s request, the state would approach the Supreme Court.
Rao said, “Tamil Nadu is implementing 69 per cent reservations for over two decades. How can you deny this to Telangana?”
The Supreme Court has put a cap of 50 per cent on all reservations both a the Centre and in the states. The chief minister clarified that the reservations were being provided purely on the basis of socio-economic backwardness and not on the basis of religion or caste as some parties were project before the people.
Rao defended the state’s hike in quota for Muslims and hit back at the BJP for opposing it. “Why can’t we give them reservation? Why should they be denied reservation just because they are Muslims? Are they not part of this country,” asked Chandrasekhar Rao. —