Maya has advice for PM on Muslims’ welfare

Maya has advice for PM on Muslims’ welfare

The ‘letter politics’ between the BSP and the Congress-led UPA Governments over the welfare of Muslims continues as in a riposte to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s letter, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has urged the Centre to work for the upliftment of this minority community.

“My government is working for the uplift of minority communities, particularly Muslims. Despite financial restraints, several schemes have been launched. The Union government should release more funds so that the state government may expedite the relief work faster,” the Chief Minister has written in her letter, which was released to mediapersons on Wednesday.

In her two letters written earlier, Mayawati had sought reservation for Muslims on lines of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes quota.

In reply to these letters, the PMO clarified that the Constitution does not allow the Centre to give reservation on religious lines. Instead, it suggests that the state government could go ahead and announce reservation for Muslims.

The PM’s letter also cited the examples of south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu which had given reservation to Muslims of their own.

The Pioneer had reported for the first time on November 25 that the Central Government had pushed the issue of reservation for Muslim in the state government’s court citing examples of other states. In reply to that letter, the Chief Minister said that the BSP Government in Uttar Pradesh was the first to include 38 castes/sub castes of Muslims in the backward caste.

“This community can progress only if it gets reservation. The state government is doing its bit. But the main help should come from the Union government,” she wrote.

The letter politics has, however, generated much political heat. Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Pramod Tiwari, said that the BSP government was not serious in giving reservation to Muslims.

“What’s the use of writing letters to the Union government when the Prime Minister has clarified that the Central government cannot give reservation to religious minority. The state government should take a cue from AP and Kerala and announce quota of Muslims,” he said.

BJP leader Kalraj Mishra said there was a constitutional process to give reservation to a religious community.

“What purpose does this exchange of letter serve god only knows,” he said.