Will move heaven and earth to implement Muslim quota: K Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Government would not hesitate to "fight" with the Centre, if necessary, for the implementation of its proposed Muslims quota act, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said here today.

The state government proposes to pass two bills for providing reservations to Muslims and STs and then urge the Centre to include the matter in the 9th Schedule of Constitution as done in the case of Tamil Nadu, the CM said in the Legislative Council.

Rao said his government would see if an Act needs to be passed in the case of STs or a decision in state Cabinet would serve the purpose.

The state government proposes inclusion of the quotas for Muslims and STs in the 9th Schedule in view of the present cap on reservations.

"But, Muslims, we will have to pass an Act...We will make an Act, start implementation and go there (Delhi). If they don't do it, we will fight out with Centre. We will not go back," Rao said.

The quota is proposed to be provided to Muslims on the basis of their socio-economic backwardness and as per the Backward Classes Commission's report, and not on religious basis, he said.

Noting that the reservation system cannot go on based on circumstances in 1948, the CM said his government would move "heaven and earth" to get the quota implemented.

Provision of 12 per cent reservation each to minorities (from the present four per cent) and and STs was an electoral promise of Rao's party, TRS.

Reservation for Muslims is necessitated in the view of the high population of the community in Telangana, he said.

The present day Telangana was under Muslim rule for 700 years, Rao added.

On the need for providing quotas, he underlined that 90 per cent of population in Telangana belonged to weaker sections including Muslims.

The state government would "go to any extent" to get the reservation implemented, including all MLAs and other public representatives taking up a 'dharna' at Jantar Mantar in the national capital.

The Acts for providing quota to Muslims would be introduced in the ongoing budget session.

With the BJP and other opposition parties claiming that Rao planned to go for an early poll to the Legislative Assembly ahead of schedule in 2019, the Chief Minister said there is no such idea.