BHOPAL: After Maharashtra, now Congress-ruled Madhya Pradesh could reserve seats for Muslims in educational institutions. Dropping hints about the reservation, Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Minister Hukum Singh Karada, on Saturday, said, “We too are preparing a detailed plan for minorities. You will see that we’ll provide more relaxation than what Maharashtra has announced. I won’t be able to give details, as I’m not authorised to make any announcement, but I can assure that the relaxation would be more than Maharashtra.”
Speaking to journalists in Agar-Malwa district, Karada said, “Just wait and watch, surely our government will give a more liberal message soon.” Sources within the state Congress confided that there is a plan to grant reservation to Muslims in educational institutions in Madhya Pradesh. On Friday, Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik informed the state legislative council that their government will pass legislation to extend five per cent reservation to Muslims in educational institutes. Malik on Saturday said that the Maharashtra BJP leaders were trying to create confusion among people on reservations to the Muslim community but the Maha Vikas Aghadi will manage to dispel all doubts.
Reacting to Karada’s statement, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said the Congress is showing its “true colours”. Stressing that the BJP will oppose the decision, he said, “After more than doubling the honorarium of Muslim clerics, now the state government... is planning to grant reservation to Muslims, which is against the Constitution. The BJP is opposed to providing reservation on religious lines, so we’ll protest.”
Maratha quota meet
A cabinet sub-committee headed by Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan on Saturday held a meeting with senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi to discuss the issue of Maratha reservation ahead of the Supreme Court hearing over it on March 17. Rohatgi is representing the state in the case before SC.