Advisor to the Telangana Government and senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remarks made during a public meeting in Sangareddy regarding Muslim reservations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
He accused PM Modi of inciting communal feelings and hatred among various communities by falsely alleging that the reservation was taken from backward classes and given to Muslims. Shabbir Ali emphasized that the 4% reservation given to 14 selective groups of Muslims in 2004-05 was based on social, educational, and economic backwardness, not on religious grounds.
The Congress came to power in 2004 and implemented a 5% reservation for Muslims, creating a new category, ‘E’, among OBCs, without altering the existing reservations. However, because this exceeded the Supreme Court’s ceiling of 50%, the High Court struck it down, leading to new legislation that reduced the quota to 4%.
Shabbir Ali criticized PM Modi for calling the 4% Muslim reservation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana unconstitutional. He pointed out that the reservation for Muslims in the BC-E group was established through legislation passed by the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Council.
He asked, “How can a law passed by the State legislature be unconstitutional?” He noted that the issue is currently sub judice and that comments on Muslim reservation not only amount to contempt of court but also violate the Model Code of Conduct.
