Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, February 18 AIMIM leader and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel criticized the BJP-led Maharashtra government on Wednesday for its decision to cancel the five percent quota for Muslims, saying that the ruling party does not want young people from the minority community to become IAS and IPS officers.
He alleged that they want Muslim youth to only drive auto-rickshaws, wash their cars, and do other menial jobs.
The Devendra Fadnavis-led government has cancelled the five percent reservation for members of the Muslim community in jobs and education. A Government Resolution (GR) was issued on Tuesday to this effect, as the previous ordinance about the five percent reservation has lapsed, and there is an interim court stay on that decision.
The previous Congress-NCP government had issued an ordinance to grant a 16 percent quota to Marathas and five percent to Muslims.
Speaking to reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar about the government's decision, Jaleel said, "The leaders of the ruling party still have the mentality of keeping the Muslim community at a stage where its members wash their cars, fry 'pakodas', and drive auto-rickshaws. They have a similar attitude towards the Dalit community. They don't want the youth from the Muslim community to become IAS and IPS officers."
However, he added that the (Muslim) community has become more aware and knows what to do.
He also appealed to the Muslim community to spend the amount of their 'zakat' (annual donation) on education instead of constructing religious places.
"The leadership should change its mentality because even if we don't get reservation, we will compete, and the community knows how to educate their children. As Ramzan is near, the Muslim community should spend the zakat amount on education instead of using it for building religious places," he said.
"The Muslim community is like an organ in the human body. It (the organ) may not be perfect, but you cannot cut and throw it off...We cannot expect much from the government that tries to find terrorists in madrassas, which is a place to study the Quran and make people good human beings."