BJP MLAs suspended in Telangana for opposing reservation bill

The BJP had opposed to the bill that proposes a hike for Muslims in jobs and education sector to 12 per cent as against the current 4 per cent.

The Telangana assembly speaker on Friday suspended five BJP MLAs for protesting against the government's proposed bill to increase reservation to Muslims. Speaker S Madhusudana Chary suspended the legislators for two days after they protested the proposed 12 percent Muslim Reservation Bill.

The BJP had opposed to the bill that proposes a hike for Muslims in jobs and education sector to 12 per cent as against the current 4 per cent.

BJP MLA Prabhakar had earlier alleged that the Telangana Backward Classes Commission was being unjust to the Backward Classes by working only for the minorities communities. The BJP had already threatened a statewide agitation if the government went ahead with the reservation bill. "Quota on the basis of religion is against the Constitution. Even courts have struck down reservation based on religion in the past," BJP's State president K Laxman had argued earlier.

The reservation bill was a poll promise of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao had announced that the bill would be passed in the budget session. The BJP, however, had begun a signature campaign against the move and announced that the bill would be opposed inside as well as outside the house.

"Reservation is meant for the downtrodden and deprived communities and should be provided in accordance with the Constitutional provisions. Enhancement in Muslim reservation percentage will eat into the quota for Backward Classes and they will be at the losing end," K Laxman had said.

OneIndia News