'Quota should not be based on religious grounds'

New Delhi, June 16: Union Human Resource Minister Arjun Singh today said the issue of the rights of dalit Muslim and dalit Christians needed serious consideration.

Religion should not be the ground either for giving or depriving anyone of reservation, said Mr Singh when asked about the demand of dalit Hindu converts to Islam and Christianity to be given this benefit.

''I personally feel that no section of the society should have a feeling that it was being deprived of anything on the ground of religion,'' he said talking to UNI.

Pointing out that several Muslim castes had been included as beneficiaries under the Mandal formula, Mr Singh said they should fight if they were not being given this benefit.

Replying to a question, he expressed reservation over the formation of a front comprising Muslim organisations in Uttar Pradesh.

''Creation of such a front was a matter of concern for secular parties,'' he said.

He, however, felt that it should be examined what led to the new political development in the state.

About the recent government order for keeping close watch on Madrasas in Maharashtra in view of alleged increase in terrorist activities, Mr Singh said linking terrorism to any religion was absolutely wrong.

But if there is terrorism-- wether in a Madrasa or anywhere else-- it should be fought by every means, he added.

In this connection, Mr Singh mentioned former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani's statement in which he had described the Madrasa in border areas as the source of terrorism. ''Then we had asked Mr Advani to name any specific institutions that were indulging in any kind of unlawful actvities, but it was ethically wrong to brand all Madrasas as the hotbed of terrorism,'' added Mr Singh.

Replying to a question on Madhya Pradesh politics, he said there was an urgent need of strengthening the party organisation in the state for the benefit of the people and the state.

It is only a dynamic Congress that can dislodge the BJP government in the state, he said when asked about former state Chief Minister Uma Bharati's statement that the BJP government's days in the state were numbered.

UNI

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