Telangana CM's Muslim quota push draws BJP ire

BJP today launched a scathing attack on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on the issue of 12 per cent reservations for Muslims, saying the proposal is unconstitutional minority vote bank politics.

"CM KCR's statement reiterating that his government will provide for 12 per cent reservation to Muslims is not just a blatant lie, but also unconstitutional and uncouth minority vote bank politics", Telangana BJP's official spokesperson, Krishna Saagar Rao said.

The Chief Minister yesterday told the Legislative Assembly that a bill providing 12 per cent reservation to backward sections among Muslims would be introduced in the budget session of the House.

This quota was a key election promise of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

The Chief Minister had also said his government decided to implement this reservation for Muslims based on their social, economic and educational backwardness and not on religious basis.

Krishna Saagar Rao said BJP strongly disapproves "this open pandering for Muslim votes by CM KCR being in a constitutional position".

"Knowing very well that the reservations limit set by the Supreme Court cannot be violated and very clear SC orders against religion-based reservations, CM KCR is still making this kind of deviant statements".

"His (the Chief Minister's) designs only expose his pro-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti BC/SC/ST mindset", Krishna Saagar Rao said.

"As any increased reservation has to be drawn from the quota assigned to BC/SC and STs, BJP considers this as unforgivable misadventure negatively affecting the economically backward classes, in pursuit of public pandering for Muslim votes".

He said BJP believes "100 per cent" that the Chief Minister cannot deliver on this "illegal and unconstitutional false promise on 12 per cent reservation to Muslims".

The Chief Minister said yesterday that in order to provide 12 per cent reservation to Muslims, a relaxation should be given to the stipulation that the reservations should not exceed 50 per cent.

"The Government of Tamil Nadu introduced Act 45/94 and with the consent of Indian Parliament, got incorporated the issue of enhancement of reservation in the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. We will follow the same policy in our state also," Rao had said.

Expressing confidence the Centre would act favourably on the state's move to provide 12 per cent quota, he, however, said the state government would also take a legal recourse on the issue if the Centre does not respond positively.