Leader of Opposition in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has strongly condemned the Telangana Government for not sending its representative to appear in the case of 4% Muslim Reservation in the Supreme Court on Monday.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi today, Shabbir Ali said that the State Government confined itself to submission of intervention petition and none of its representative was present when the Constitutional Bench heard the matter.
Meanwhile, Shabbir Ali also filed intervention petition seeking to implead in the case. He was represented by senior counsel Salman Khursheed and his team comprising of Shakeel Ahmed, Uhme Jameel and Pervez Dabat. The matter was heard by Constitutional Bench, led by Chief Justice T.S. Thakur, and comprising of Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla, Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, Justice R. Banumathi and Justice Uday Umesh Lalit.
Senior counsel P.P. Rao, who represented Andhra Pradesh Government, initiated the hearing in the case. Meanwhile, Salman Khursheed urged the Constitutional Bench to allow Shabbir Ali to implead in the case. Accepting the petition, the Bench posted the matter for next hearing to April 18. The BC Commission was represented by senior advocate Muzifa Ahmed while advocate Krishna Mani appeared on behalf of those opposing 4% Muslim quota.
“It is highly shocking that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao did not bother to depute at least one representative of Telangana Government for such an important hearing. It clearly shows his lack of interest in defending 4% Muslim quota which was given by previous Congress regime in 2004. Over 10 lakh socially and economically backward Muslim students benefitted from the 4% quota. Although KCR came to power on the promise of giving 12% Muslim reservation in just four months after coming to power, he did nothing even after 20 months. He is not even interested in protecting the ongoing reservation in the State,” Shabbir Ali said.
Shabbir Ali said irrespective of how TRS Government behaves in the case, he would defend the 4% Muslim reservation on behalf of Congress party.
