Amit Shah brings Telangana Muslim quota into poll ring, BRS, Congress fire back

The ruling BRS, AIMIM and Congress accused Shah of “undermining” the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court before which the Muslim reservation issue is pending.

Announcing that the Congress would approach the five-judge Bench to pass strictures against Shah for making the statement, Congress leader Shabbir Ali said: “Is Amit Shah bigger than the Constitution Bench? Will a minister decide the fate of Muslim quota when the Supreme Court is looking at the matter? Shah seems to be ignorant on the issue.”

The people of Telangana are yearning for change. Addressing a mammoth gathering in the ‘Vijay Sankalp Sabha’ in Chevella.
తెలంగాణ ప్రజలు మార్పు కోసం తహతహలాడుతున్నారని చేవెళ్లలో జరుగుతున్న ‘విజయ్‌ సంకల్ప సభ’లో ప్రసంగించారు. https://t.co/4XONQLtGcq

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 23, 2023

Ali added that the 4% quota benefit, announced before the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, was for the 14-odd sub-groups of Muslims who are considered socially, economically and educationally backward. “Other sub-groups like Syeds and Pathans are not covered under the Muslim quota as they are thought to be better off. A washerman or a fisherman or a butcher remains the same irrespective of religion. Why is the BJP making it a religious issue? Reservation to backward Muslims is not based on religion, it is based on their social and economic status,’’ Ali said.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said Shah’s remarks exposed the BJP’s “double standards”. “On the one hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks of reaching out to backward Muslims like Pasmandas and, on the other, the Union Home Minister announces that they will cancel Muslim reservation.”

What had the BJP to offer Telangana bar anti-Muslim “hate speeches”, Owaisi said, adding that the BJP government at the Centre should instead amend laws so that the ceiling of 50% on quotas is removed, if it cared for the SCs, STs and OBCs as it claims.

Sir @AmitShah
ye “owaisi owaisi” ka rona kab tak chalega? Khaali khattey dialog’aan maarte rehte. Please sometimes speak about record-breaking inflation & unemployment also. Telangana has the highest per capita income in the country

Modi allegedly says reach out to pasmanda…

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) April 23, 2023

“Reservation to backward Muslims is based on data and their backwardness, and not due to religion. When the Supreme Court has given a stay and reservation to Muslims is continuing, how can Shah claim it will be cancelled?’’ the AIMIM chief said.

BRS spokesperson Ravula Sridhar Reddy said Shah’s statement was another sign that “the BJP is greedy to grab power by any means”. “Amit Shah has turned the Muslim quota into a religious issue. He does not know the difference between Constitutional and unconstitutional quota because the 4% quota is Constitutional and does not breach the 50% ceiling,” Reddy said. Like the AIMIM, the BRS was for the Centre lifting the total ceiling, he said. “Amit Shah’s announcement is nothing but hate speech and a cheap effort to divide people.”

The 4% Muslim reservation in Andhra and Telangana is enjoyed by members of the community who work as butchers, fishermen, barbers, washermen etc, which are professions linked to lower castes. The quota was announced by the Y S Rajashekar Reddy government after the Congress stormed to power in the united Andhra Pradesh in 2004.

Dear @AmitShah Ji,

త్వరలో అధికారంలోకి కాదు..
బీజేపీ అంధకారంలోకే…

త్వరలో
రాష్ట్రంలో బీజేపీ ఖాళీ…
ఢిల్లీలో.. ప్రధాని కుర్చీ ఖాళీ..

2024లో..
వైఫల్యాల మోదీకి
గుజరాత్ ఘర్ వాపసీ తప్పదు

మరోసారి
మోదీని ప్రధాని పీఠం ఎక్కిస్తే..
దేశాన్ని బలిపీఠం ఎక్కించినట్టే
అనే బలమైన…

— KTR (@KTRBRS) April 23, 2023

In 2006, the Congress government sought to increase this to 5%, but this breached the 50% ceiling – with 46% reservation already set aside for SCs, STs, and OBC. But while the Supreme Court put a stay on the hike, it allowed the 4% reservation to continue.

The Muslim quota was then challenged in the Court by other individuals. On March 25, 2010, the Supreme Court granted a stay on implementation of the reservation on the basis of a PIL, while allowing the continuation of quota for the 14 categories until further orders and referring the matter to a Constitutional Bench.

The five-judge Bench is hearing the constitutional validity of the reservation to Muslims as a Socially and Economically Backward Class.

While the UPA government at the Centre backed the reservation, the NDA government has been clear on its stand against quota based on religion. In April 2017, in keeping with a poll promise, the Telangana government had passed a Bill to increase quota for STs from 6% to 10%, and for Muslims from 4% to 12%. But the Bill remains stuck as the Centre did not give its consent.

BJP Telangana president Bandi Sanjay Kumar supported Shah’s stand, saying “religion-based reservation” was unconstitutional, should be removed wherever it exists, and hurts reservation for SC/STs and OBCs.

In neighbouring Karnataka, for example, the BJP government did away with reservation exclusively for Muslims just ahead of the polls, placing them under the Economically Weaker Section category.