12% For Muslims Impossible Under TRS Rule: Congress

Leader of Opposition in the Telangana Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir today expressed doubts over the TRS government fulfilling its promise of giving 12% reservation for Muslims.

Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, Shabbir Ali criticised Panchayat Raj Minister K Taraka Rama Rao for his remarks against the Congress over the Muslim reservation issue. Showing copies of three judgments delivered by the High Court and the interim-stay granted by the Supreme Court, he advised KTR to first learn the details of the Muslim reservation issue before making any statement.

He said that the process of reservation for Muslims was kicked off in 1994 by the then Congress government in Andhra Pradesh which issued GO Ms No 33 giving reservation for Muslims along with 14 other castes including Kapu, Teliga and Baliga. It had also constituted a BC Commission headed by Justice Puttuswamy. However, the Commission did not file a single report during the 10-year rule of the TDP government, he alleged.

Questioning the seriousness of the TRS government in giving 12% reservation for Muslims, Shabbir Ali said that the 12% quota should have been given at least in areas where legal complications were not involved. He said that the TRS government should implement the 12% quota in making appointments to the Marketing Committees and other nominated posts. The TRS should also give 12% of its Party posts to Muslim leaders, he added.

Shabbir Ali also alleged that the TRS government had selectively targeted Muslim educational institutions, and was responsible for closure of several engineering and professional colleges.

He said that the next hearing on the 4% reservation for Muslims case would be held in the Supreme Court on April 18. He pointed out that no representative of the Telangana government was present in the court when the matter had come up for hearing on February 29.