8th Feb, 2010: The AP High Court has termed a separate quota for Muslims as unsustainable and unconstitutional, as 5 judges out of a 7-member panel ruled against a Congress government act - Reservation in Favour of Socially and Educational Backward Classes of Muslims - that was passed on 23 July 2007. According to the act, 15 socially and educationally backward Muslim classes were to get 4% reservation - students and employees.
The state government has decided to secure a stay order in the Supreme Court against the HC judgement.
The BJP hailed the judgement saying it was unconstitutional to have religion-based reservations, but the MIM is up in arms.
MIM party workers and supporters stormed into Secretariat shouting slogans against the government. Party chief Asaduddin Owaisi raised doubts over the sincerity and honesty of the Rosaiah government, and also threatened to step up agitations if the interests of the Muslim community were not protected.
Since 2004, the AP government has been trying to provide reservations to the Muslim community, but its attempts have proved futile - the HC had quashed a government order of 2004, and in 2005 as well.
A VHP leader Murlidhar Reddy challenged in the High Court, the Muslim Reservations Act passed by the Assembly in July 2007. |
