Home Minister Amit Shah promises to scrap Muslim quota in Telangana if voted to power

New Delhi (India), April 24, 2023: Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, announced on Sunday that if the BJP comes to power in Telangana, it will abolish reservations for Muslims in the state.

Speaking at a rally in Chevella, near Hyderabad, Shah denounced religion-based reservations, labeling them “unconstitutional.” He pledged to remove the 4 percent Muslim quota and extend rights to Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and other backward communities. “This right is of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBC,” said Shah.

The Home Minister accused the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) government of corruption in several projects and stated that the BJP would continue its fight until the “corrupt” regime is “dethroned.” Shah also claimed that the Telangana government is implementing the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM “agenda” in the state.

In response, Owaisi criticized the BJP and stated that they have no vision for Telangana besides “anti-Muslim hate speech.” He also argued that if Shah was serious about justice for SCs, STs, and OBCs, he should introduce a constitutional amendment to remove the 50% quota ceiling. He defended the reservations for backward Muslim groups based on empirical data.

The BJP-ruled Karnataka had recently abolished the 4% reservations for Muslims and distributed it equally between two dominant Hindu communities ahead of the May 10 assembly elections. However, the Supreme Court criticized the decision, stating that it exceeded the 50% ceiling on reservations imposed by the court in a landmark judgment in 1992.

The Karnataka government has defended its decision, claiming it was based on the recommendations of a commission that examined the socio-economic status of various communities in the state. The Telangana assembly election will be held later this year.