Telangana's K Chandrasekhar Rao Hikes Muslim Quota From 4 to 12 Per Cent, BJP Opposes

Telangana: The government of K Chandrasekhar Rao in Telangana has increased quota in jobs and education for Muslims from 4 per cent to 12 per cent fulfilling its pre-election promise. The BJP has opposed the move, dubbing it communal politics. The BJP's only five members in the assembly were suspended after they tried to stall the proceedings.

Another hike in quota - from 6 per cent to 10 per cent for Scheduled Tribes - was part of the same bill, which was passed on Sunday at a special session of the assembly. The proposed quota hike takes reservations from the present 50 per cent to 62 per cent in Telangana.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Venkaiah Naidu has been quoted as saying a quota hike for Muslims cannot be allowed as it will pave the way for a "mini-Pakistan" in India.

Terming the bill unconstitutional, state BJP leader G Kishan Reddy said it would not stand judicial scrutiny. The party, he said, was strongly opposed to reservation on basis of religion, and that injustice was done to the Backward Classes by including Muslims in the BC(E) category.

Chief Minister Rao, who had moved the bill in the assembly, said the reservations were being provided on basis of socio-economic backwardness "and not religion or caste as some parties claimed in an attempt to mislead people". Citing the example of Scheduled Tribes, he said they currently have 6 per cent quota though their population as per 2011 census is 9.8 per cent. His party has claimed that after the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana ended up with a bigger percentage of Muslims.

He also argued that constitutionally, there is no bar on providing more than 50 per cent reservation and Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand were already providing more than 50 per cent quota. With 90 per cent of Telangana's population comprising Backward Castes, Scheduled Cates and Tribes and minorities, the state definitely needed more than 50 per cent reservation, he added.

There will be no injustice to Backward Classes because of the Muslims' inclusion in BC(E) category, Mr Rao said, as the quota for the Backward Castes will be increased. The reservation for the Scheduled Castes, who comprise 16.3 per cent of the state's population, will also be increased by 1 per cent. The Scheduled Castes currently have 15 per cent reservations while the Backward Castes have a total quota of 25 per cent.