Former Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir has objected to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s promise of scrapping 4% Muslim quota if it comes to power in Telangana. He described it as highly provocative and nothing less than hate speech.
In a statement here, he said that despite being the country's Home Minister, Mr. Shah was neither aware of the history of Muslim quota nor its present legal position. “The case of 4% Muslim quota in government jobs and education, introduced by the previous Congress regime in 2004-05, is pending before the Supreme Court. His statement is contempt of court. Is Amit Shah superior to the Supreme Court?” he asked.
Mr. Ali said that Muslim reservation was not given on the basis of religion but on the recommendations of the Backward Classes Commission by the Congress government in combined AP. The commission recommended categorisation of 14 socially, economically and educationally backward groups among Muslims as BC-E.
He said that when Congress provided 5% reservation based on the report, the Supreme Court permitted the continuance of 4% quota, subject to the final verdict by the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court. “Therefore, no one, except the Supreme Court has powers to stop the Muslim quota,” Mr. Ali said.
He added that since its implementation, nearly 20 lakh poor Muslim families in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh benefitted. Mr. Shah’s efforts to polarise Telangana will never succeed, he said.
