Lucknow: Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad
Azam Khan on Monday took potshots at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister
Mayawati saying her letter to the Prime Minister demanding
reservation to Muslims was an "insult" to the community and
just a political gimmick ahead of the 2012 Assembly polls.
"Mayawati government is not serious about the problems
being faced by Muslims. The letter written by her ahead of
Assembly polls is just a political gimmick," he told
reporters.
Citing Sachar Committee recommendations, he said, "While
Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have provided reservation, nothing
was done in Uttar Pradesh. Taking up the issue now means
insulting and befooling Muslims for their votes."
Anti-Muslim approach of BSP government could be gauged
from the fact that it had failed to provide letter of
authorisation to Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University so
that it could start admissions, he alleged.
"Fifty-eight cases are lodged against me for fighting for
the varsity on lines of Aligarh Muslim University," Khan
claimed, adding, an Arabic-Persian varsity has been opened in
the current regime but it was not named after Arabic or
Persian scholar but late BSP leader Kanshi Ram.
"I respect late Kanshi Ram ... but after his death I have
come to know that he was an Arabic scholar," he said.
While 14.6 per cent Muslims were recruited in police in
Mulayam Singh Yadav's rule, one or two persons got placement
in the force in the present regime, he said.
Mayawati wrote a letter to the prime minister on
September 17 asking for constitutional amendment to provide
reservation to Muslims in government jobs and educational
institutions.
PTI
First Published: Monday, September 19, 2011, 22:15