Opposition slams government over Muslim reservation

The Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took potshots at senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Eknath Khadse for alleging that Muslims were denied reservation during the Congress regime. Opposition alleged that the BJP government had deliberately refrained from extending the ordinance which could have allowed Muslims to enjoy the benefits of reservation. Whereas Mr Khadse said that though the reservation decision had been challenged in court, the state government had protected admissions to Muslim students taken through reservation quota.

Khwaja Baig, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member, on Tuesday raised the issue of Muslim reservation in the Upper House through calling attention. He elaborated how various committees since the colonial era had recommended the need for Muslim reservation. He demanded that the decision of reservation for the community taken by the previous government be implemented.

In his reply, Mr Khadse said that the previous government’s decision had been challenged in high court and until such time the final verdict was given, the state could not announce reservation for the Muslim community. ‘The decision of reservation was taken on July 9, 2014, and the Court has given interim stay to implement the decision on November 11, 2014,’ said Mr Khadse. The state had announced five per cent reservation for the Muslim community in education and recruitment to government jobs.

Opposition leader Dhananjay Munde raised objection and claimed that the BJP government had deliberately avoided extending the ordinance which ended on December 23, 2014. ‘The ordinance of reservation for the Maratha as well as Muslim community ended on the same day. The BJP government extended the period of ordinance for the Maratha community while the issue of Muslims was kept aside,’ said Mr Munde.

Mr Khadse clarified that his government had asked the opinion of Advocate General of the state on extension of the ordinance and that is why it was kept pending. To which, Mr Munde asked why the same opinion was not taken for Maratha reservation. Mr Khadse then accused the Congress and NCP of appeasing Muslims from the position of opposition while they did nothing for the community during 60 years when they were in power.

Angered by Mr Khadse’s comment, members of the opposition shouted slogans against the government and later staged a walk out.

Meanwhile, Mr Khadse said that his government had protected Muslim students who got admission through 5 per cent reserve quota. Six hundred and sixty five Muslim students sought admission in diploma and degree courses for engineering, pharmacy, polytechnic colleges and management across the state from the reservation quota.