Why Delay In Muslim Reservations, T-Cong MLCs Ask

The Congress MLCs strongly criticised the TRS Government for the delay in fulfilling its election promise of giving 12% reservation to Muslims in jobs and education.

Participating in the discussion on the subject during the Question Hour in the Telangana Legislative Council on Monday, Congress deputy leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir pointed out the mistake in the budget speech wherein the Muslim population had been quoted as 11%.

He alleged that the mistake was done deliberately as it was part of a larger conspiracy to deny Muslim reservation.

As per the 2001 Census, Muslims constituted 12.4% of the total population in Telangana. However, by quoting it as 11%, the TRS Government wanted to create legal hurdles in the process of reservation, he alleged.

Shabbir Ali also listed out the legal complications faced by the government in giving even 4% reservation. Alleging that the TRS Government took no steps to provide 12% reservation in the last five months, he demanded that the process of giving reservation be expedited.

Responding to Shabbir Ali's objections, Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali admitted that the Muslim population percentage mentioned in the budget speech was wrong. However, he described it as a typographical error, and said that corrections would be carried out immediately.

He also assured Shabbir Ali that all legal precautions would be taken to ensure that the policy would not be hit by roadblocks.

"It is proposed to formulate a strategy for the social and economic development of the minorities in Telangana. In this regard, a Commission will be constituted to study the social, educational and economic conditions of the minorities, and come up with an strategy which includes providing reservations in professional education and government jobs for their all-round development," Mahmood Ali said earlier while replying to a question raised by MLC M S Prabhakar Rao during the Question Hour.

"The constitution of the Commission is to conduct a scientific survey and come up with a viable solution within the ambit of the Constitution and the Supreme Court judgments, and understand the modus operandi in other States where such provisions are made. Further action will be taken upon receiving the report of the Commission," said the Deputy CM.

Mahmood Ali also assured that the new Muslim reservation policy would include more socially and economically backward groups of the Muslim community.

Other Congress MLCs also participated in the discussion. (INN)