The Congress has observed that the four per cent reservation for minorities introduced by it when in power has ensured political empowerment of Muslims both in AP and Telangana.
Muslim candidates got elected to 306 posts in Telangana and 605 in AP in the BC (E) category in the rural and urban local bodies’ elections, Telangana Congress leader K. Jana Reddy and Mohd. Ali Shabbir said.
Speaking to newspersons here on Monday, the leaders said “revolutionary policy decision” had benefited thousands of Muslim youth in education and employment apart from political field. But for the implementation of reservation for Muslims, their chances of securing admissions in medical, engineering and other professional courses would have been drastically low, Mr. Shabbir said adding that the quota had also improved their representation in local bodies considerably.
In a letter addressed to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma A. Heptullah, Mr. Shabbir requested her to take a serious view of the subject instead of trying to please the sections opposing reservation to Muslims. He made it clear that the Congress was not seeking reservation on communal basis, but on the economic backwardness of the community.
Understanding the positive aspects of reservation to Muslims, the Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra had also announced 5 per cent quota to Muslims.
