Govt must defend legislative rights ; CPI(M)

New Delhi, Mar 30 (UNI) CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat today called upon the Centre to implement the Justice Sachar Committee report to improve the condition of Muslims in the country.

Inaugurating the day long National Convention, organised by the minorities wing of the party, Mr Karat expressed anguish over what it termed as ''growing tendency in the judiciary'' to ''abrogate legislative rights of ''the deprived sections''.

Mr Karat's observations assume significance in the backdrop of the Supreme Court's judgement yesterday staying the 27.5 per cent reservations for OBCs in centrally-run educational institutions, IIMs, IITs and others.

The CPI(M) leader said the party's charter for advancement of Muslim community, which had been largely circulated among ''intellectuals'' and ''opinion makers'' would be thoroughly discussed in the Convention. ''It will be later finalised by the party and forwarded to the government.'' The charter ask the Centre to prepare a concrete and time bound programme backed by adequate financial backing, identifying Muslim-dominated areas, formulating a sub-plan on the pattern of tribal sub-plan, providing reservations for Dalits, special educational facilities for Muslim girls and boys and provisions of adequate compensation to all victims of communal riots, including those of the 2002 riots in Gujarat, in line with that of the 1984 carnage victims.

The convention was attended by representatives from various parts of the country.

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