Maharashtra: Shiv Sena extends support to 5% reservation for Muslims in educational institutions

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In a major turnaround, Shiv Sena on Saturday extended support to 5% reservation for Muslims in educational institutions. This is important as the party, which was BJP’s ruling ally between 2014 and 2019, had opposed the same earlier. Sena is now heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with NCP and Congress. Its present allies have been strong advocates of quota for Muslims in the state. On July 24, 2014 the NCP-Congress government had come out with a resolution announcing 5% reservation for Muslims in jobs and educational institutions.

Veteran Shiv Sena leader and Minister of Urban Development Eknath Shinde on Saturday hinted his party’s support on the matter. This comes a day after Minister of Minority Affairs Nawab Malik announced that the state government will table a bill in the ongoing budget session to propose 5% quota for Muslims in educational institutes. Shinde had on Friday said that there was no decision till then on what Malik said.

Malik had told the state legislative council that the Bombay High Court had approved for five per cent reservation in government educational institutes for Muslims. He further said that the state government will come out with an Act to ensure the same.

With Sena on board, the NCP and Congress hope that the passage of the proposed bill in the state legislature would be easy despite opposition from the BJP. Leader of opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis has said that BJP cannot support reservation based on religion.

Sena’s decision comes close on the heels of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s move to reach out to the Muslim community, especially against the backdrop of the ongoing debate over the implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens. Thackeray has clarified that the MVA government will not allow targeting any particular religion in the implementation of CAA and NPR. He added that the questions to be asked during the NPR exercise will be finalised in consultation with NCP and Congress.

He also clarified that NRC was so far restricted to Assam and his party will oppose it if it is extended

to the rest of India. Thackeray had held a couple of meetings with delegations of Muslim politicians and clerics and reiterated that the community should not live in fear of being asked to leave the state.

He had also assured that nobody’s rights will be taken away and said the government is strong enough to protect the rights of citizens of all religions.