Even as the issue of providing reservations to Muslims under BC-E category is caught in a legal wrangle in Supreme Court of India, the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government on Saturday announced reservations to two more Muslim groups.
The AP State Minorities Commission headed by Dr K Iqbal Ahmed Khan has issued a circular including two other Muslim groups, who carry prefix “Mohammad” and “Abdul,” under the Backward Classes-E quota, so that they too would be eligible for reservations in education and employment.
According to Khan, these two categories of Muslims also belonged to socially and educationally backward classes. Hitherto, the reservations under BC-E quota was applicable only to very backward Muslim communities like Dudekula, Syed etc.
He said the decision was taken following a clarification from Director of BC Welfare.
“Instructions have been issued to the departments concerned including revenue authorities to issue BC-E certificates to the two new categories of Muslims,” Khan said.
At present, the state government was implementing four per cent reservations to the Muslim minorities under BC-E category. Now, these two categories of Muslims will have a share in this four per cent.
Needless to say, the decision would fetch tremendous mileage to the ruling YSR Congress party in the next elections, as more Muslims would now be getting the benefits of reservations, provided this is not challenged in the court of law.
