Mayawati demands reservation for progress of Muslims

Invokes Sachchar report, writes to PM promising support to the move.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati has urged the Centre to provide reservation to minorities, especially Muslims, proportionate to their population.

In her letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she assured the support of her government in bringing such an amendment to Constitution to make provision for reservation to Muslims.

Mayawati observed she believed that to change the condition of minorities, increase in opportunities in the field of education, employment, including other sectors of life for their progress, was needed.

She said the Indian Constitution provided for opportunities to people of all religions for their progress in life. Although religious minorities, especially Muslims, had huge population, they were backward even after 64 years of Independence.

The Sachchar Committee had also pointed out this facet in its report, she said.

The CM said after due consideration, Sachchar Committee had given several suggestions for the welfare of minorities, including encouragement to educational opportunities, economic activities and proper participation in employment, improvement in the life-style of minorities, besides control and prevention of communalism and violence.