AP adopts resolutions on reservation to OBCs, Muslims

Hyderabad, Mar 30 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Assembly today adopted two resolutions urging the Centre to take steps for providing reservation for Other Backward Classes and Muslims in the wake of Supreme Court order yesterday, which stayed the law providing for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher education institutions.

While the main Opposition TDP was dissatisfied with the wording of the resolutions, the BJP objected to provision of reservation for Muslims.

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy moved the resolution to support the Centre's initiative in providing reservation for OBCs and urged it to take all steps to expeditiously resolve the issue.

In another resolution, the Leader of the House wanted the Centre to take all appropriate steps to provide for reservation to socially and economically backward Muslims.

Taking a cue from Tamil Nadu, Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu moved an amendment to the resolution demanding that Parliament be immediately convened to discuss the situation arising out of the apex court's interim order and take legal steps to ensure that reservation for OBCs was not lost in the new academic year.

With regard to reservation for Muslims, Mr Naidu moved another amendment urging the Centre to withdraw its affidavit before the Supreme Court allegedly against reservation for the community and wanted it to file a fresh affidavit in support of reservation for Muslims. The Constitution should be amended, if needed, to provide reservations to the community.

Contending that inclusion of Muslims in the BCs list amounted to injustice to BC communities, BJP Floor Leader G Kishan Reddy opposed reservation for Muslims and charged the Congress Government with ''playing vote bank politics.'' Intervening, Information Minister Mohd Ali Shabeer clarified that the Centre had only opposed ''religion-based'' reservation in its affidavit and Muslims in the state had been provided reservation not on the basis of religion but because of socio-economic backwardness of the members of the community.

Dr Reddy had a dig at Mr Naidu, who claimed that even the TDP thought of providing three per cent reservation to Muslims. ''What had prevented Mr Naidu who has been ruling for nine long years. Is it a short period?'' he sarcastically asked, adding that even he thought of providing free power to peasants but could not provide for reasons best known to him.

Pandemonium prevailed in the House for some time as TDP members staged a noisy protest.

During the course of discussion, Mr Naidu and AIMIM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi engaged in a wordy duel with the former branding the latter as ''behaving like a Congress spokesman'' and the latter questioning the former for remaining silent earlier on the issue of provision of reservation for Muslims.

UNI