Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra president Abu Asim Azmi on Wednesday strongly criticised the state government’s move to withdraw the 5 per cent reservation earlier granted to Muslims in education and public employment, describing the decision as discriminatory and politically motivated. Speaking to reporters, Azmi said the quota, first announced during the Congress-NCP tenure in 2014, was never fully implemented through proper administrative follow-up, and accused the present government of abandoning it instead of addressing legal and procedural hurdles.
The decision comes after the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government issued a fresh Government Resolution cancelling the quota, citing the lapse of the earlier ordinance and an interim court stay. The previous administration had proposed separate reservations for Marathas and Muslims, but legal challenges stalled implementation, leaving the policy in uncertainty.
Reacting sharply, AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel alleged that the ruling dispensation was unwilling to see minority youth progress into higher civil services, accusing it of restricting opportunities for the community. Religious scholar Maulana Sajid Rashidi also urged the Chief Minister to reconsider the decision, arguing that the withdrawal would adversely affect economically weaker sections within the Muslim community.
