BJP will never allow religion-based quota: Amit Shah in Telangana

PARKAL/NIRMAL (TELANGANA): BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday attacked the state govenment's proposal to give 12 per cent quota to Muslims, saying his party will never allow it as religion-based reservation is unconstitutional.

Shah hit out at Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao over the issue during campaign rallies at Parkal and Nirmal ahead of the December 7 Assembly polls in the state.

"I want to tell Chandrasekhar Rao, the Supreme Court has fixed 50 per cent ceiling (on total reservations). If you want to provide 12 per cent reservation, from whose quota are you going to carve it out: from Dalits, tribals or OBCs. Decide this first," Shah said.


Shah said Rao promised reservation to the minority community "despite being aware" of the 50 per cent ceiling and forwarded the proposal (bill) to the Centre.

"BJP would stand firmly to protect the reservation of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes," he said.

The Constitution does not allow reservation based on religion, the BJP chief said.

He asked the gathering whether a religion-based reservation should be be given, and said, "You don't worry. Even if KCR, Congress, TDP, communists, all of them come together, I guarantee that till the BJP government is at the Centre, religion-based reservation will not be given."

The Telangana legislature has passed a bill increasing reservations in jobs and education for backward sections of the Muslim community to 12 per cent from the earlier four per cent. The bill is yet to get the Centre's nod.

Meanwhile, speaking at a campaign rally at Shadnagar, Rao said the bill was not yet cleared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite repeated requests.

"We want to give reservations to Muslims. But Modi is against that. That is the reason I am advocating a non- Congress and non-BJP front government. You know that I fought for Telangana's statehood. I will get you reservations the same way," he said.