Telangana bypoll: Congress raises alarm over BJP pitch on 4% Muslim quota

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government in the state has retained the 4% quota for Muslims, first introduced by a Congress regime in 2004-05. Congress leader and former minister Mohammed Shabbir Ali pointed out that the issue is currently before a five-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court. Ali is a petitioner in the case.

In its campaign in Munugode, the BJP has been promising to quash the quota if voted to power. Saying they strongly object to these remarks considering the matter is before the Supreme Court, Ali and former chairman of the Hyderabad Minorities Department Sameer Waliullah have accused Union minister Reddy of violating the Model Code of Conduct and delivering a “provocative speech against the Muslim community”. Ali said they had written to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar seeking action against Reddy.

“Kishan Reddy addressed a series of meetings in the last few days where he deliberately raised the issue of 4% Muslim reservation. He promised the people that if the BJP was voted to power, the government would scrap the 4% quota in jobs and education for Socially and Economically Backward Classes among Muslims, and distribute the same among other castes,” Ali said.

He said the senior BJP leader’s remarks “not only amount to contempt of court, but they also violate the Model Code of Conduct wherein the BJP leader is trying to lure voters by provoking them based on religion”. Ali said that while Muslims comprise only 3-4% in the Munugode constituency, the BJP game plan was Hindu-Muslim polarisation.

Urging the EC to restrain the BJP leaders, Ali said: “It is the duty of one and all to show some respect to the Supreme Court and trust its wisdom on sensitive matters like the 4% Muslim quota which is related to lakhs of poor people.”

Defending the BJP’s promise, its Telangana president Bandi Sanjay Kumar said the party was against any religion-based reservations and not against a minority group. “Reservation should not be based on religious identity,” he said.

In 2004-05, then heading a united Andhra Pradesh, the Congress government had proposed a quota for socially and economically backward Muslims, based on the recommendations of a Backward Classes Commission. Initially, the quota was 5%, but was reduced to 4% following the directions of the Andhra Pradesh High Court so as to ensure that the total reservations didn’t exceed the 50% limit imposed by the Supreme Court.

Ali said the Congress government proposed the 4% quota without affecting the share of any other community. However, he said, Kishan Reddy was trying to create the impression that the quota was being given to Muslims by cutting into the benefits of other groups.

According to the Congress leader, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also made similar remarks while speaking at the BJP National Executive held in Hyderabad in July.

“Amit Shah and Kishan Reddy are now Union Ministers and not just RSS and BJP functionaries. They must speak responsibly on sensitive issues,” Ali said. “Those covered under the 4% quota are socially and economically backward groups of Muslims. Instead of targeting the quota which is benefitting these poor Muslims, the BJP should increase the reservation percentage of other communities.”

He said he had also requested his advocate in the 4% Muslim quota case and senior Supreme Court counsel Salman Khurshid to bring this matter to the notice of the Constitutional Bench hearing the case, saying that Union ministers were trying to influence the case with their speeches.