The row over Muslim reservation has intensified once again, as Congress leader and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has now declared that the issue will be addressed after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) forms the government in Maharashtra.
“After forming the government in Maharashtra, we will discuss it (Muslim reservations). A 4 percent reservation has already been implemented in Telangana. We had 5 percent, but since it led to a breach of the 50 percent cap, the Supreme Court ordered it to be reduced,” the Telangana Chief Minister said.
Reddy elaborated on Telangana’s experience by noting that during a teacher recruitment drive involving 11,000 positions, 720 Muslims were hired under the reservation policy.
Reports have been circulating for quite a while that Karnataka’s Siddaramaiah government is mulling a proposal to provide 4 percent reservation to Muslims in government tenders. The topic of reservation has become central to the Maharashtra elections, BJP leaders have been consistently opposing calls for Muslim reservations, which were abolished in 2021.
Why the ‘communal’ move is against the Spirit of the Constitution
It is pertinent to note that reservations are so far provided in state-owned institutions in govt tenders are only on a category basis like SC, ST, and OBC. Secondly, the Constitution of India categorically denies reservation on religious grounds.
Still, Congress and its state governments have to infringe the law of the land and extend the benefit of the reservation to Muslims.
It seems Congress and its governments in the state are intent on infringing the law of the land for their petty vote bank politics. Leaving the legalities and technicalities aside, the question is how can it be justified to give tenders of roads, buildings, and excavations among others to people just because they are Muslims.
However, it is not the first time Congress has unveiled its real and anti-Hindu character. Only a little while back, the All India Ulama Board (AIUB) had written to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders offering its conditional support in the assembly elections while demanding 10 percent reservation to Muslims in jobs and education. Surprisingly, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee had reportedly assured that it would definitely take steps to fulfill the demands if voted to power in Maharashtra.
Consequently, the entire BJP, from PM Modi to Amit Shah and others came down heavily on Congress’s silent move to deceive the OBC community and transfer their right to the Muslims. In fact, PM Modi had even pointed out how in 2011 the Congress government had attempted to implement a similar scheme nationwide.
Addressing the controversy, Home Minister Amit Shah said, “If reservation has to be given to Muslims, then reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs will have to be cut. Rahul Baba, not only you, but even if your four generations were to come, they cannot cut the quota meant for SCs, STs, and OBCs and give it to Muslims.”
It is clear that Muslim reservation remains one of the foremost agendas for the Congress party to fulfill the demands to get the requisite minority votes. It is sufficient to say that what Revanth Reddy is claiming is not just his opinion but a direction from the top brass. Congress will leave no stone unturned to pander to the Muslim vote bank.