MUMBAI: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is likely to move the High Court demanding quota for Muslims. The decision comes in the wake of the state Assembly passing the Maratha quota Bill.“The Muslim community complies with most of the conditions mentioned by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) while recommending quota for the Maratha community. Hence, we have decided to move court in the quest of justice,” AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel said on Friday.
The erstwhile Congress-NCP government in the state had granted 5 per cent quota for Muslims in education, in addition to 16 per cent reservation for Marathas. However, after the ordinance lapsed due to court cases, the BJP government didn’t revive the Muslim quota and brought in a legislation only for the Maratha community.
“Three government-appointed commissions — Sachhar Commission, Ranganath Mishra Commission and Mehmood Rehman commission — had recommended quota for Muslims,” Jaleel said, stressing his point.
Earlier in the day, when the issue was raised in the Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made it clear that the Constitution doesn’t provide for religion-based quota. “If members of a backward caste, who embraced Islam but didn’t leave the caste, puts forward a quota demand, we could ask the backward class commission to conduct a study. The government would then act on the recommendations of the commission,” he said.
During the House proceedings, a demand was also raised for quota for the Dhangar community. Fadnavis told legislators that his government is in the process of making recommendations to the Union government to grant quota to the Dhangar community without disturbing the existing reservation for ST communities. “We shall place the Action Taken Report (ATR) on Dhangar quota in the next session of the Assembly,” he told the House.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, demanded on Friday that the government revive five per cent quota for Muslims. “Even the high court had upheld it (quota) in view of the community’s backwardness,” the Congress leader said, adding that the government should extend the current session or call a special session next month for a discussion on the issue.
battle for reservation
The Muslim community complies with most of the conditions mentioned by the Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (MSBCC) while recommending quota for the Maratha community, AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel said
The erstwhile Congress-NCP government in the state had granted 5 per cent quota for Muslims in education, in addition to 16 per cent reservation for Marathas
During Assembly proceedings on Friday, a demand was also raised for quota for the Dhangar community. Chief minister Fadnavis assured the House that his government is working on it