Mumbai: The BJP-led government in Maharashtra has scrapped an ordinance providing reservation for Muslims, despite the Bombay High Court allowing quota for the community in educational institutions. The Devendra Fadnavis-led government, which had earlier said that it was against reservation on religious grounds, did not indicate if it plans to introduce a law to replace the ordinance, which lapsed in December last year.
In the run up to the Assembly polls last year, the previous Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance on July 11, 2014 allowing 16 per cent reservation for Marathas and five per cent for Muslims in government-run schools and colleges as well as jobs.
The previous government had decided to provide a five per cent reservation to 50 Muslims communities by including them under a newly formed category — Special Backward Category-A.
The new government challenged the overturning of quota for Marathas and appointed a committee to suggest potential solutions, but did not make a similar move to examine the HC order on Muslim reservation in jobs.
The state government also allowed the ordinance to lapse on December 23 and chose not to extend it, thus forfeiting a chance for Muslims to obtain reservations in the education sector as allowed by the High Court.
Fadnavis had earlier claimed that his government stood for the all-round development of Muslim community and the present reservation system would only help a section of the community. “Since there was confusion over the issue and over whether reservations can be granted on grounds of religion, we are in the process of consulting constitutional experts,” he had said.
Officials in the State Minority Development Department said there was no immediate plan to allow reservation for Muslims in Maharashtra. Principal Secretary Jayashree Mukherjee declined to comment on the issue. Fadnavis, too, was unavailable for comment.
Interestingly, the CM had on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss ways of ensuring the development of minorities in the state. The government’s move, meanwhile, came under fire with former minority development minister Arif Naseem Khan branding the government “communal. The CM announces that the development of the state is not possible if condition of Muslims does not improve.
Bureau Report
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