Hyderabad, May 28 : Telangana Congress Vice-President Mohammad Ali Shabbir on Wednesday strongly condemned the remarks of Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptullah wherein she opposed reservation for Muslims.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Shabbir Ali accused Heptullah of implementing the secret agenda of Bharatiya Janata Party and Sangh Parivar of denying Muslims and other minorities their due share in education and jobs. He said that Heptullah was always confined to the AC rooms and never went out to study the real condition of Muslims in the country. He clarified that the Congress introduced four per cent reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh and proposed 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities at the national level in view of their deteriorating socio-economic conditions.

Referring to the studies conducted during the Congress regime, Shabbir Ali said that reservation to Muslims was not given on the basis of religion. Further, not all members of the community were extended the reservation benefit. However, the socially and economically backward sections of Muslims were identified and reservation was given only to poor Muslims. He advised Heptullah to study the entire aspect of Muslim reservation instead of making generic comments.

Shabbir Ali said that the Congress Government at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh did not please the minorities. It took practical steps like providing reservation to ensure the socio-economic development of the community. He also announced that the community would adopt the path of agitation if the BJP Government at the Centre tries to stop the on-going reservation policy in States and denies the minorities their due share in welfare measures.  INN

Hyderabad, July 31: The formation of Telangana is certainly good news for the entire population in the region. However, the Muslims living in the region have no reason to celebrate as they are most likely to lose benefits of four per cent reservation in jobs and education, at least for a brief period, immediately after the formation of Telangana State.

The present four per cent reservation was given to the Muslim community based on the report of Backward Classes Commission which identified 14 sections within the Muslims who are economically and socially backward. However, this report was prepared based on status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh wherein they constituted 9.086 per cent of the total population, as per 2001 Census. After passing through several legal hurdles, the Andhra Pradesh Government started implementing Muslim reservation subject to the final judgment of Supreme Court.

However, the formation of Telangana will drastically change the situation. The BC Commission report which was made the basis for introducing the reservation would stand invalid as it represents the status of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh. After the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Muslim population in Telangana State will be 11.827 per cent while in Rayalaseema-Andhra (State) it will be reduced to 6.947 per cent. Therefore, the process to give reservation to Muslim community will have to be repeated again by constituting new BC Commissions in both the States.

If all goes well, separate state of Telangana will be a reality in the next six months. If Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao is good at keeping his promises, then Muslims in the new state of Telangana will get 12 per cent reservation in jobs and employment. Since his party is likely to be merged with the Congress, it is difficult to say what the Congress High Command would decide with regard to Muslim reservation. Further, the Rayala-Andhra Government will have adopt a new policy to give reservation to Muslims who will constitue just 6.947 per cent of the total population in the State.

The moment Telangana becomes a reality, the Muslim Reservation policy will become null and void. Therefore, the analysts say that the Muslim organisations should take immediate legal steps to ensure that the reservation benefits continue till the new governments in both the States settle down and devise their new policies.