Shiv Sena in a fix as NCP Min moots Muslim quota law

As part of the previous govt, the Sena had sided with BJP and refused to give reservation on the basis of religion

With the Nationalist Congress Party NCP-held Minority Affairs Department announcing an ordinance for five per cent quota in education and jobs for Muslims, the opposition party BJP said that Sena seems to have struck a deal with alliance partners NCP and Congress to stay in power.

Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik told the upper house on Friday that the MVA would promulgate an ordinance which would be converted into law, possibly after the ongoing Budget session. He was responding to a question from Congress MLA Sharad Ranpise. He said Muslims will be given a quota in education first and then a separate law would be legislated for a quota in government and private jobs.

However, Urban Development Minister and senior Sena leader Eknath Shinde said no decision had been taken on the issue. "Leaders of the MVA will together take a call on policy decisions about giving reservation to any community. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will take appropriate decisions at appropriate time. No decision has been taken yet," Shinde told reporters. Malik said the five per cent reservation in education was upheld by the Bombay HC after the then Congress-NCP government had made a provision in 2014. The HC had scrapped the Maratha quota and upheld perks for Muslims in education. The BJP-Sena government ignored the Muslim quota during its tenure but pursued a 16 per cent quota in jobs and education for Marathas, which was later upheld by the HC, but with a cap of 13 per cent. An appeal in the matter is pending at the Supreme Court.

Opposition leader in the House Praveen Darekar demanded that Thackeray clarify his party-s position in the matter.

Former CM and opposition leader in the Assembly, Devendra Fadnavis said the quota would be against the Constitution-s provisions. "We want to know how many deals the Sena has made with the Congress and NCP to stay in power at any cost. It seems that the Sena has changed its position just for the sake of sticking to power," Fadnavis said.

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi welcomed the MVA-s initiative. "The CM had said categorically that he supported a Muslim quota. Not just Thackeray, but many others have demanded the quota," he said.

With agency inputs

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