Braving intense protests against him by the Shiv Sainiks, Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday made a strong case for reservations in education and jobs to Muslims in Maharashtra and also rooted for speedy trial and early release of “innocent” Muslim and Hindu accused languishing in jails in the Malegaon blasts case.
On a day when several hundreds of Sena activists staged protests against the last-minute decision of the local police to allow Owaisi’s event inside the Kasurbaug Hall at Kondhwa in Pune, the MIM chief upped the ante for reservations in jobs and education for Muslims in Maharashtra so as to pave way for the growth of the members of Muslim community in life. Owaisi, whose speech was laced with humour and sarcasm, said: “We do not seek the fish, but merely the hook by which to catch fish. Give us reservation and we will fight our way to the top”.
Stressing that reservations to Muslims in education and jobs would go a long way in enabling the Muslim community to join the national mainstream, Owaisi said: “Just give us reservation and we shall make ourselves capable in all respects..Why can't there be Muslim doctors, IAS, IPS officersIJ The community's population in Maharashtra is 11 percent or more than 12 million, but 70 percent live below the poverty line. Not a single Muslim MP was elected from here in the past few elections”.
Owaisi, who was in the normal course to address the “Muslim Arakshan Parishad’, in Pune’s Golibar Maidan, had been denied permission by the Pune police to address the convention in an open ground, do so citing law and order issues.