Congress Seeks Clarification On Muslim Quota

Former minister and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir today reiterated the demand that the State government issue a proper clarification on whether or not it had reduced the Muslim quota in jobs and education in Telangana from 4% to 3%.

Shabbir Ali was part of a delegation led by TPCC president A Revanth Reddy to Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar on farmers' issues. Later, Shabbir Ali submitted a separate memorandum to the Chief Secretary seeking the clarification on the Muslim quota.

Speaking to media persons later, Shabbir Ali said that the Chief Secretary had been requested to issue a proper clarification on the new Roster Points for Direct Recruitment which he said had created a huge confusion over the 4% Muslim quota.

"In view of the increase in the ST quota from 6% to 10%, the State Government issued new Roster Points for Direct Recruitment under Rule 22 and 22A of the Telangana State & Subordinate Service Rules 1996. The Roster Points clearly show that Roster Nos 19, 44 and 94 have been earmarked for the BC-E (Muslims) category. As per the law, Roster No 69 should also be reserved for BC-E to ensure a 4% quota. When we pointed out the mistake through the media, the State government sent a rejoinder through the Publicity Cell denying any decrease in the Muslim quota. This rejoinder does not resolve the issue," he said.

He said that the rejoinder claimed that Roster Nos 19, 44, 69 and 94 were reserved for BC-E. Ali said that the rejoinder however did not look official.

"It was not issued on any official letterhead or even signed. The Roster Points for Direct Recruitment were issued by the Chief Secretary. Therefore, the clarification on the Muslim quota should also come from the Chief Secretary's office in a proper format," he said.

"The so-called rejoinder reminds us of the demolition of two mosques in the old Secretariat premises. When we raised the issue of the demolition of the mosques, the State government sent an unsigned rejoinder claiming that no mosque had been demolished and that only a section had gotten damaged due to falling debris from other structures. Two days later, CM K Chandrashekar Rao himself admitted that both the mosques had been razed to the ground. This time, too, the release of Roster Points followed by the unsigned rejoinder leads to the suspicion that the TRS government has reduced the Muslim quota to 3%," Shabbir Ali said.

He demanded that either the CM or the Chief Secretary issue the revised Roster Points for Direct Recruitment by rectifying the mistake. Further, instead of protecting the officials responsible for the goof-up, strict action should be taken against them for the blunder, he said.

"Reduction in reservation percentage by 1% cannot be treated as a mistake or a typographical error. This is a serious crime committed against a poor community to deny it its lawful share in government jobs and education. Therefore, such mistakes must be treated with seriousness," he said.