4% Muslim reservation not based on religion: Shabbir Ali

Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of making misleading statements about Muslim reservations to create communal tension.

Addressing media persons at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Shabbir Ali claimed that Modi and Shah were spreading misinformation regarding the 4% Muslim reservation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. To clarify the issue, he said he had written an open letter to PM Modi. In his letter, Shabbir Ali expressed his dismay over the speeches made by Modi and Shah, accusing them of deliberately creating communal rifts. He refuted their claims that the 4% Muslim reservation in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh was based on religion and unconstitutional.

Shabbir Ali explained that the Muslim reservation in the then-undivided Andhra Pradesh was not based on religion. He pointed out that only 14 identified groups among the poorest Muslims are eligible for the quota, while the majority of other groups are excluded. He also clarified that the 4% Muslim quota was not created by reducing the quotas for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), or Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

Shabbir Ali emphasised that the Muslim reservation under the BC-E category was established by legislation passed by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Council. "By calling the Muslim quota unconstitutional, you are showing disrespect to the Legislature," he said. He clarified that the 4% Muslim reservation is not based on religion but covers 14 economically and socially backward castes among Muslims, as identified by the Backward Classes Commission.

“The reservations were granted based on recommendations from the Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes Commission, creating a separate category 'E' among BCs. This 4% quota benefits the poorest of poor Muslims. Excluded groups include Syed, Moghal, Pathans, Irani, Bohra, and others, while socially and economically weak groups practising professions like barber, butcher, stone-crusher, washermen, etc., are included in the BC-E Group,” he said.

He also explained that the 4% Muslim reservation case is pending in the Supreme Court and will be heard by a Constitutional Bench. He accused Modi and Shah of attempting to influence the case with their misleading and provocative statements. As a party involved in the case, Shabbir Ali warned of potential legal action if such comments continued. "I request you to kindly study these documents, which I am sure will change your stand on the Muslim quota. However, if you are speaking against the Muslim quota solely for political gain and to create a communal divide, no amount of evidence can change your stand," he said.

Shabbir Ali reminded Modi that as the Prime Minister of India, he represents all 140 crore people, irrespective of their religion or caste. "Your speeches suggest a deliberate anti-Muslim stance to lure voters from other communities. By creating a false impression that Muslims have snatched the rights of other communities, you are harming the poorest Muslim families who are socially, economically, and educationally backward," he alleged. He urged Modi to speak the truth and refrain from spreading falsehoods that harm the socio-economic fabric of the nation. However, he said if Modi and Amit Shah continue making such speeches, he would file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court.