Muslims reservation: Centre's affidavit will not affect AP law

Hyderabad, July 28 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today made it clear that the Centre's counter-affidavit against religion-based reservation would not go against the interests of the State, which had enacted a law providing for five per cent reservation to Muslims in education and jobs.

''Religion is not the basis for providing reservation to Muslims.

Only based on the economic backwardness the community has been included in the Backward Classes List'', he made it clear at a press conference here.

Moreover, the entire community was not provided reservation as the 'creamy layer' had been excluded from the purview of reservation, he pointed out, adding that the Centre's counter-affidavit would not have any bearing on the case relating to the reservation pending before the Supreme Court.

He dismissed as ''hypothetical'', the state might face problems as the bill was referred as ''Muslim Reservation Bill'', which was likely to give an impression that the Government was providing ''religion-based reservation''.

''We will get it examined'', he said when asked why the Government should not consider providing reservation for economically backward people in the forward communities.

UNI SM ROY AB RS2033