Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir today said Prime Minister Modi’s election speech in Gujarat on Tuesday confirmed that there would not be any quota for any one above the current 50% cap fixed by the Supreme Court. This has exposed Chief Minister KCR, who was “misleading” the Muslims with false assurances, he said.
In a pressnote here today, Shabbir said Prime Minister Modi had endorsed what Union Minister for Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Mukathar Abbas Naqvi had said during his recent visit to the city. Naqvi had said the Supreme Court judgments have to be respected and the State governments cannot increase quota on their own and bring pressure on the Centre.
Shabbir said KCR and his govt had flogged limelight and publicity as savior of Muslim and ST communities by passing a legislation for giving 12% reservation to Muslims and 10% to STs on population ratio. He demanded that the CM give clarity how 12% quota will be given to Muslims and STs from the next academic year. He also alleged that the Telangana CM and his AP counterpart were playing to the gallery for votes.
Shabbir Ali also recalled that Congress government under late YSR had also hiked the quota for Muslims to 5% but was struck down by the AP High Court and also in Rajasthan High Court. “As a minister in YSR government I took the lead to see that the quota was retained at 4% to that courts would not object, but also benefit thousands of Muslim youth in jobs and also higher studies”, he added. (NSS)