Paswan demands reservation for Muslims

New Delhi, Nov 9 (UNI) The Lok Janshakti today criticised the death penality given to toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein but stopped short of taking a clear stand on the issue of the same punishment meted out to Afzal Guru, convicted for attack on Indian Parliament.

LJP President and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said the death penalty given to the fallen strongman was unjust and this was even clear from the US election results. He urged the Centre to take up the issue with the Iraqi government.

However, when queried on his party's stand on the death sentence to Afzal Guru, Mr Paswan said, ''LJP is yet to take a stand on the issue. We are considering it and whenever time will come we will clarify the stand.'' Mr Paswan, whose party has a soft stand for minorities, demanded reservation benefit for Muslims. Welcoming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent statement that minorities should be given their due rights, he said Centre and state governments should give reservation to Muslims in government and private sector jobs. He said that Muslims are socially and educationally backward as has come out in the Sachchar Committee report.

He pointed out that the Hyderabad High Court had never said giving reservation on religious basis was unconstitutional, it just said data was not compiled and proper procedure was not followed by the state government while doing so. Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka give reservations to Muslims, he added. The LJP leader also demanded reservation for dalit muslims under article 342 of the Constitution.

He said the LJP would organise an International Dalit Muslim Conference in February 2007 in which about 100 dalit Muslim leaders from across the globe would participate. Noted Dalit activist Ruth Manorama has been appointed convenor for the conference.

Reacting to Bihar byelection results in which JD(U) and BJP candidates won from Nalanda and Bhagalpur constituties, Mr Paswan said division among the secular forces with RJD going separate was the reason for it. He claimed that the LJP sacrificied by not putting up its own nominee and supporting CPI and CPI(M) candidates but RJD put up its own nominees due to which the votes got divided and BJP-JD(U) candidates won.

Mr Paswan claimed that a large number of Muslims have joined the party in Uttar Pradesh including BSP leader and former minister Ramkishore Bind. He also appointed Dr Jaikaran Joseph as head of Tamil Nadu unit of LJP and Sardar Tara Singh as head of Rajasthan unit of the party.

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