BJP hails AP anti-reservation ruling

The Andhra Pradesh high court's verdict setting aside the government order providing reservation to Muslims has evoked a mixed response from political parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party has welcomed the judgment, while other parties blamed the state government for what they called a hasty decision.

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Putting up a brave face, the government tried to find solace in the court direction of reconstituting the Backward Class Commission to identify eligible sections among Muslims. "The verdict clearly supports our viewpoint of providing reservations to Muslims," Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy said, adding that the BC Commission would be set up and social justice would be meted out to the minority community.

Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who was an impleaded petitioner favouring the GO, said his party would continue its campaign with added fervour and take up the issue at all fora to bring social justice to Muslims.

BJP state president N Indrasena Reddy said Muslims as a community could not be granted BC status and alleged that the Congress was back to its appeasement tactics.

BJP ally Telugu Desam Party, however, spoke in favour of reservations, but blamed the state government for not examining the issue closely before issuing the order. "Vital aspects including whether the GO will stand legal scrutiny were not looked into and the decision was taken in a haste with political motives," TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said. He expressed the hope that corrective measures would be taken in the wake of the ruling.

Communist Party of India-Marxist legislator Mohammed Gafoor opined that reservations to Muslims should be implemented.