Muslims demand 5 per cent reservation

Pune: In the midst of the agitation for Maratha reservation, Muslim organisations have now threatened to carry out a “Muslim Muk Mahamorcha” on September 9 in Pune if their demand of five per cent reservation for their community is not fulfilled.

Muslim organisations have united under the “Muslim Muk Mahamorcha Coordin-ation Committee” to demand reservation. They have demanded that Muslims be brought under the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

One of the organisers, Anjum Inamdar, said, “Earlier, the Congress-NCP government had given five per cent reservation by ordinance. Even the high court had approved it. Commis-sions constituted by the central government had concluded the same. Hence, the government should approve our demand orelse we will go on strike on September 9 in Pune, where four to five lakh people are expected to participate.”

Another organiser, Samrin Qureshi, said, “Muslims should be given protection under the Atrocities Act like the dalits.”