Cong threatens stir if Maha fails to implement Muslim quota

A day after Maharashtra government filed an affidavit in Bombay High Court backing reservation for Marathas, Congress on tuesday threatened to launch an agitation if quota for Muslims in educational institutions, scrapped last year by the BJP-led dispensation, is not implemented.

The state government yesterday had filed a 2500-page affidavit in the Bombay High Court in support of its decision to grant reservation to Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions across the state.

"If government does not take a decision on implementation of Muslim quota, Congress will agitate all over the state raising the demand," said Congress leader and former minister Mohammed Arif Naseen Khan.

Welcoming the government's affidavit, Khan recalled the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government had provided reservation to Marathas as well as Muslims in government jobs and education.

"Though theHigh Court (had) stayed 16 per cent quota for Marathas and 5 per cent for Muslims, the reservation for Muslims in educational institutions was allowed," Khan said.

He said the government had scrapped the Muslim quota last year.