Will oppose proposed quota for Muslims in Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis

Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said his party, BJP, will oppose the proposed 5 per cent reservation the Muslims by the state's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

"We oppose the Muslim reservation or any reservation which is given on the basis of religion," Fadnavis told media on being asked whether BJP will support the long-awaited Muslim reservation in the state.

"Any reservation which is against the Constitution needs to be opposed. Muslim reservation is being given on the basis of religion. So, we will be opposing this reservation as it is anti-Constitutional. We will not support anything which is anti-constitutional.

The MVA government has promised 5 per cent the reservation to the Muslims in the state. This reservation demand remained pending for several years during previous governments.

On January 31, Maharashtra Minister and Congress leader Aslam Shaikh had said that the state government will soon bring Muslim reservation since it was a part of the alliance government's common minimum programme.

"MVA government will soon bring Muslim reservation as it was a part of the grand alliance's common minimum programme," Shaikh told ANI.

The Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress have formed a coalition government in Maharashtra led by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.