Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan has demanded 5 percent quota for Muslims.
The Narendra Modi government, on Monday, January 7, had cleared a proposal to give 10 percent reservation in government jobs and education to the economically backward in General category. Stating that the Supreme Court had ruled that reservation cannot be there only on the economic or financial backwardness basis, Khan said that the government should allocate 5 percent quota for Muslims from the new 10 percent reservation announced.
The Samajwadi Party leader said the dismal condition of Muslims has been clearly stated in the Sachar Commission report. According to Khan, the report says the Muslims’ condition is even worse than Dalits.
Referring to the recent Assembly election results, Khan warned, “In the manner the people came out on the streets in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to get their demands met, the second largest population in India of Muslims could also come on the streets.”
The BJP has declared the announcement of proposed quota for General category as ‘historic’ and ‘a masterstroke.’ However, the Opposition has called it an election stunt, as the Lok Sabha polls are due in April-May this year.
To make the quota for General category a reality, Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution need to be amended to bring in a clause for reservation for the economically weaker sections in educational institutions and government jobs.
