By Muslim Mirror Staff
Rajasthan minister Avinash Gehlot on Saturday said that his BJP state government is set to review the reservation granted to Muslims under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister said the classification of 14 Muslim groups under the OBC category will be reviewed by a high-level committee, The Hindu reported.
The Congress granted reservations to the Muslim groups under the Other Backward Classes category between 1997 and 2013 as a part of its “appeasement politics”, alleged Gehlot.
“We have all those circulars, and the department and the government are going to review it,” Gehlot said. He said that the Constitution did not allow reservations in government jobs and education based on religion and that his department had received several complaints.
Throughout the election campaign, BJP leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have attacked Congress for wealth distribution and reservation for Muslims. Modi himself has pitched to stop reservation for Muslims.
According to government data, there are 14 states and Union territories where Muslim communities are included in the OBC list, based on social and economic backwardness. Gehlot’s remarks also came days after the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday cancelled all Other Backward Classes certificates issued in West Bengal after 2010. ( With PTI Inputs )