Opposition calls Maharashtra govt ‘anti-minority’ over cancellation of 5% Muslim quota

Former state Congress working committee member Naseem Khan alleged that several welfare schemes for minorities launched by the earlier Congress-led government had been discontinued.

Mumbai: The Opposition on Wednesday termed the BJP-led Maharashtra government “anti-minority” following the cancellation of the 5 per cent reservation for Muslims in education and government jobs.

Former state Congress working committee member Naseem Khan alleged that the ruling Mahayuti coalition had committed an injustice by taking such a step, while NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the BJP doesn’t value Muslim leaders of the party and its allies.

Mahayuti comprises the BJP, NCP and Shiv Sena.

Speaking to reporters at Tilak Bhavan here, Khan said the decision to scrap the quota for socially and educationally backward sections within the Muslim community was “extremely wrong” and would deprive minorities of opportunities to join the mainstream of development.

He said the previous Congress-NCP government in 2014 had issued an ordinance granting the Muslim quota.

“The subsequent Devendra Fadnavis government did not take the process forward, and even after the Bombay High Court granted interim relief for 5 per cent educational reservation, its implementation was not ensured,” Khan alleged.

He added that the quota was implemented for the 2014-15 academic year, but was not continued later despite repeated assurances by the BJP government.

Khan further alleged that several welfare schemes for minorities launched by the earlier Congress-led government had been discontinued. He claimed that scholarships for students had been curtailed, with only Rs 20 crore allocated against the annual requirement of about Rs 90 crore.

The Congress leader also claimed irregularities in the grant of minority status certificates to schools.

“Around 70 to 75 schools, including some large educational institutions, have been given minority status certificates. We have learnt that Rs 5 to 10 lakh was charged for each certificate. The government should cancel these certificates and order a probe by the CID or a Special Investigation Team, and suspend the officials concerned,” he said.

Minorities include not only Muslims but also Jains, Sikhs and Parsis, he said, adding that the government should ensure equal development opportunities for all such communities. He called the government “anti-minority”.

NCP (SP) spokesperson Crasto said the decision proves that the BJP doesn’t value Muslim leaders of the party and its allies. “It also shows that these Muslim leaders won’t get justice from the BJP,” he claimed.

The erstwhile Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance to grant a 16 per cent quota to Marathas and five per cent to Muslims.

As per a government resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday, all previous decisions and the ordinance related to the five per cent reservation in government, semi-government jobs and educational institutions for the socially and educationally backward Muslim group included under the Special Backward Category (A) have been cancelled.