Reservation on religious ground opposed

Patna, Nov 15 (UNI) JD(U) MP and president of All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaj Ali Anwar today warned the Centre against any move to make provision for reservation on religious grounds, saying it would not augur well for the nation.

Reacting to the report of the Justice Sachchar Committee, Anwar said any initiative of the Centre to implement its recommendation would prove counter-productive. '' Reservation on the basis of religion will lead to communal polarisation in the society, '' he maintained.

'' Muslim society is not homogeneous. Some of them are affluent, while majority are oppressed and underprivileged, '' he said adding the implementation of the Sachhar committee recommendation would not help improve the status and living standard of majority of the Muslim community.

'' Oppressed among the muslim community should be accorded the status of scheduled caste, and reservation facilities be extended to them accordingly, '' he stated.

Earlier, the Justice Sachhar Committee was constituted by the Centre to ascertain the status of members of the muslim community in government and private sectors and suggest measures to ameliorate their lot.

UNI XC-RS PDM HT1755