Congress, NCP warn stir against Maharashtra govt for not providing quota to Muslims

Fadnavis says a decision will be taken after advocate-general's opinion

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have threatened to launch a state-wide agitation in Maharashtra against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena government’s move to exclude quota for Muslims but provide 16 per cent reservation for the Maratha community in government jobs and education.

On Tuesday, the state government had got a fresh Bill recommending 16 per cent quota for the Maratha community passed in the state legislature, even as a petition against the previous Congress-NCP government's decision in this regard was pending before the Bombay High Court. However, the government skipped introducing a similar bill providing reservation benefits for the Muslim community.

The high court had stayed the proposal for 16 per cent reservation for Marathas in jobs and education introduced earlier this year. The court also put on hold the five per cent quota in public jobs under a special backward class category to 50 sub-castes among Muslims, but did not disturb a similar benefit for them in state-owned or government-aided education institutions.

Refusing to intervene in the matter on a petition filed by the BJP-Sena government against the Bombay High Court order, the Supreme Court asked the state government to argue its case before the high court.

Fadnavis defended the government's decision saying that the final decision on the Muslim reservation would be taken after consulting the state advocate general. He said the government was not against reservation, but wanted to ensure the decision can withstand legal scrutiny.

The NCP, which had earlier offered its support to the BJP for forming government, is now in the opposition. It has alleged chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is running the government with the instructions from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the government is keen to implement the RSS agenda in the state. The Congress alleged the government is biased on the issue.

A BJP minister, who did not wish to be named, told Business Standard: “The government cannot neglect the Maratha community, which constitutes about 35 per cent of the state population. A committee headed by the state education minister Vinod Tawde had also suggested quota for the Maratha community. More importantly, the community, which was traditionally supporting the Congress and later the NCP, has extended overwhelming support to the BJP and also Shiv Sena in the Assembly poll. As far as Muslim quota is concerned, both the parties have reservations to provide quota based on religious grounds.”

Hussain Dalwai, president, Maulana Azad Vichar Manch, has taken strong objection against the government’s decision saying that nearly 43 per cent of the Muslim community are quite poor with the monthly income of just Rs 500. Muslims constitutes 10.5 per cent in Maharashtra. “Representation to the Muslim community in government and semi-government jobs is quite insignificant while the literacy rate is quite low, even compared with the Dalit community. The government must reconsider its decision and provide quota for Muslim in jobs and education, failing which agitation will be launched across the state,” said Dalwai, who is also Congress’ member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

Other Muslim bodies including Muslim Reservation Front and Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) have also condemned government's selective approach. The Muslim Reservation Front recalled that Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission and Sachchar Committee had recommended quota for the Muslim community in education, employment and also in the legislature.

Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi argued that the government should at least bring a new ordinance so that students from the Muslim community were not deprived of their privileges.