Telangana Deputy Chief Minister fears that BJP government at the Centre may scuttle Telangana government’s efforts to provide 12 pc reservations to Muslims in the state.
Speaking at the ‘Meet the Press’ organized by the Telangana Union of Working Journalists here on Tuesday, Mr Mahmood Ali said that the BJP being in full majority in the Lok Sabha, it may halt the way in providing reservation for Muslims.
DCM said that TRS government is committed to provide 12 pc reservations to Muslims but it needs the support of Parliament due to the court orders that reservation should not exceed 50 pc as a whole.
“Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao is mulling to adopt Tamil Nadu’s model to raise the cap on reservation from 50 to 70 pc in Telangana and will take up the matter with the Union government soon”, he said.
Claiming that TRS was a secular party, Mahmood Ali said that as reservation based on religion may be opposed by some, the government was planning to provide reservation to Muslims on the basis of their poverty and backwardness.
The commission of inquiry set up to study the socio-economic and educational status of Muslims in Telangana, headed by G.Sudhir, will submit its report soon. Basing on the report the government will take further steps on reservation,” Ali said.
Ali, who is also the revenue minister, said the government would allot houses to all Telangana journalists who had been subjected to discrimination for decades by past governments. Replying to a query, Mahmood Ali said the TRS would contest GHMC elections on its own and not have alliance with any party.