Author: Pioneer News Service
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: December 2, 2004
Muslim quota in paramilitary forces
---- The BJP on Thursday charged the Manmohan Singh Government with taking
a decision on reservation for Muslims that could have divisive effect in
the country.
BJP spokesman VK Malhotra said the
Ministry of Home Affairs had asked Central Para-military Forces to ensure
that 20 per cent of total recruitment should be of Muslims. He said MHA
Minister of State Sri Prakash Jaiswal had substantiated it.
The party charged that the move
was "illegal, unconstitutional and against the interests of the nation."
The BJP believed in equality of all citizens without any discrimination
on the basis of religion. "The Government wants to divide the nation,
once again." The proposal to give a Constitutional status to the Minority
Commission and a separate commission to give affiliation to minority institutions
followed the pattern of pre-Independent India which ultimately led to the
partition of the country and creation of Pakistan.
