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All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Waris Pathan on Friday criticised the Maharashtra government for cancelling an earlier Government Resolution (GR) granting 5 per cent reservation to the Muslim community, alleging that the BJP-led dispensation was “anti-Muslim” and “anti-minority.”

According to ANI, reacting to the move on Thursday, Pathan said, “This shows that the BJP government is anti-Muslim, anti-minority… Before 2014, when the Congress was in power, it issued an ordinance for a 5 per cent reservation. It was also their fault that the law was not finalised. The matter went to the High Court. The High Court said that Muslims should be given a 5 per cent reservation in education. When I was an MLA, I raised this issue in every session… but the government did not give it. The BJP government rejected this reservation ordinance. I strongly condemn this… This shows the government`s thinking that it is an anti-Muslim government…”

Fresh GR nullifies earlier decision on Muslim quota in education and employment

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government`s social justice department on Tuesday issued a Government Resolution (GR) cancelling its earlier decision to grant 5 per cent reservation to the Muslim community for educational institutions and government and semi-government jobs, a provision that had been legally invalidated over a decade ago.

The reservation, introduced in July 2014 through an ordinance, classified Muslims under the Special Backwards Class-A (SBC-A) category and applied to government jobs and educational institutions. However, the ordinance was challenged in the Mumbai High Court, which stayed it on 14 November 2014.

Since the ordinance was not enacted into law by the Maharashtra legislature by the 23 December 2014 deadline, it lapsed automatically. The Supreme Court later cancelled the reservation while deciding a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against the Bombay High Court order, effectively invalidating the provision.

Despite the lapse of the ordinance and the Supreme Court`s order, the Maharashtra government had not formally cancelled the original GR through any official order until now.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, ‘Govt attempting to snatch citizenship through SIR’

Earlier on Monday, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that the BJP-led Central government was attempting to “snatch citizenship rights” through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Hyderabad MP claimed that after Bihar, the SIR would be undertaken in Telangana and Maharashtra.

“I appeal to the people to ensure that when the SIR is conducted, all genuine names are included. The BJP wants to snatch citizenship through the SIR. It is attempting to do so by conducting the revision through the Election Commission of India (ECI),” he alleged. 

(With ANI inputs)