Maulana Madani slams Akhilesh govt for failure on reservation promise

“Three years have passed. Nothing has been done at ground level for giving reservation to Muslims. That way it will be difficult for us to believe their manifesto now,” Madani told The Indian Express.

He added: “Recruitment for nearly 40000 police vacancies are going on while the same for other posts are also in pipeline. Let the results be out and we will see how many Muslims have made it. Their claims will be clear in a few days as we are keeping watch,” Madani said.
He also claimed that Muslims played a pivotal role in helping SP form the government. “If you will not keep Muslims safe, you will lose the government,” Madani added.

He also claimed that he had conveyed his feelings to both Mulayam and Akhilesh. “I have done it several times. They are aware of it. We are not demanding that Muslims should get reservation in proportion to their population but give them whatever court permits, even if it is one per cent. But, sadly in reality no such efforts have been made by the government,” he said.

SP in its election manifesto in 2012 had promised that Muslims will be considered the most backward and given reservation like dalits in proportion to their population. After assuming power, Akhilesh had referred the issue to minority welfare minister Azam Khan who had formed a committee headed by secretary, minority welfare, S P Singh and asked him to submit a report. Since then the issue is lying on back burner.

Madani had stood by the SP government when it faced flak after Muzaffarnagar riots. During a meeting with Mulayam and Akhilesh, Madani had claimed that the state government provided the best relief which would have not been possible even if UP was headed by a Muslim CM. On Madani’s demand, Saharanpur medical college was renamed as Sheikhul Hind Maulana Mahmood Hasan medical college. He visited Mulayam frequently and sources said Ashu Malik, a small time party-worker was made MLC recently on Madani’s recommendation.