Telangana passes bill to hike quota for Muslims

The Telangana assembly yesterday unanimously passed a bill to hike the reservation quota for backward Muslims and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) to 12 and 10% respectively.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) vehemently opposed the bill both inside and outside of the assembly. But all other opposition parties supported the Backward Class, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Reservation Bill, 2017.The bill was later passed by the Legislative Council.As soon as the day-long special session of the legislature began, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao moved the bill to raise from the existing 4% to 12% the quota for the socially and economically backward among the Muslims under the Backward Classes (E) category.The reservations for the Scheduled Tribes in educational institutions and government jobs have been increased from 6% to 10%.The bill will be sent for the President’s assent with a request to include it in the 9th Schedule of the Constitution as was done in Tamil Nadu.Replying to debate on the bill, the chief minister said if the central government refuses to accept Telengana’s request, the state would approach the Supreme Court.“Tamil Nadu is implementing 69% reservations for over two decades. Five to six states are providing more than 50% reservation. How can you deny this to Telangana,” he asked.The Supreme Court has put a cap of 50% on all reservations both at the Centre and in states.The chief minister clarified that the reservations were being provided purely on the basis of socio-economic backwardness and not on the basis of religion or caste as some parties were projecting before the people.Terming it a historic day, Rao said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had during the election campaigns promised that quota for the Backward Classes (E) and the Scheduled Tribes will be increased in proportion to their population in the state.He assured the backward classes that there will be no injustice to them because of the increase in quota for the BC (E) and announced that the quota for the BCs too will be increased. The state government has directed the Backward Classes Commission to submit a report within six months.Rao also said that the reservation for the SCs, who constitute 16.3% of the state’s population, will be increased by 1%. He said the government would soon constitute an SC Commission.The SCs are currently enjoying 15% reservations while the BCs have a total quota of 25%.The legislation will increase the total reservations in the state to 62%.The chief minister argued that there is no constitutional bar on providing more than 50% reservation.Rao said with 90% of Telangana’s population comprising the backward classes, SCs, STs and minorities, the state definitely needed more than 50% reservation, and pointed out that states like Tamil Nadu and Jharkhand were already providing more than 50% quota.The chief minister made it clear that he will not beg the Centre but will fight to get the new quotas included in the 9th Schedule.He said Telangana would raise this issue at the meeting of the Niti Aayog and in parliament. He hoped that a debate on the issue will begin and consensus will build at the national level.He defended the state’s hike in quota for Muslims and hit back at the BJP for opposing it.“Why can’t we give them reservation? Why should they be denied reservation just because they are Muslims? Are they not part of this country,” asked Rao in the absence of five members of the BJP, who were earlier suspended for the day by the speaker for disrupting the proceedings.The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) urged the government to take steps to protect the existing 4% reservation while increasing the quota by 8%. Its member Ahmed Pasha Khadri said a new category BC (F) be created for hiked quota.The chief minister, however, said there was no need for any apprehensions as there will be no threat to the existing 4% reservations.