New Delhi, December 01: Responding to Mayawati’s demand for giving reservation to Muslims, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to consider measures which states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have taken on their own by including Muslims in OBCs.
The Prime Minister has also communicated to Mayawati that the Centre is studying examples of such states and trying to develop a consensus on measures that are justified as per the Constitution on the issue of reservation for Muslims.
Singh wrote to Mayawati on October 24, in reply to a letter she sent to him on September 14, demanding reservation for Muslims in proportion to their population. She had also stated that if needed, an amendment in the Constitution can also be considered.
On Wednesday, Mayawati replied to the PM, saying, “I want to bring this fact to your knowledge that there is an arrangement for giving caste certificates to backwards among the Muslim communities under the present reservation system for OBC in public services right from the days of my first government of 1995.”
As many as 38 castes and sub-castes of Muslims are included in the state list of OBC.
In his letter, Singh underlined the need for coordination between the states and Centre in efforts to develop such a system in which there is no discrimination against minorities. “I believe I would get positive cooperation from you,” he wrote.
He reminded Mayawati that 90 minority-dominated districts had been adopted under Multi-sectoral Development Plan across the country. “There are 21 such districts in your state. The Centre has allocated a fund of Rs 1,015.7 crore. I request you to personally review the schemes for their quick implementation,” Singh said.
In the very first paragraph of his two-page letter, Singh communicated to Mayawati that he had carefully read her letter dated September 14 relating to minorities, particularly development and welfare of Muslim communities. “As you know, the Government of India is committed to the development and welfare of the minorities and I am happy that you are also concerned with this,” he said.
In her reply, Mayawati said her government is still to get Rs 381 crore from the Centre under the multi-sectoral development plan. Out of the total allocated fund, the Centre has released only Rs 634.09 crore.
–Agencies–