Quota for Muslims is betrayal by Congress, legally untenable: Najma Heptulla

Days after the Maharashtra government announced a 5 percent quota for Muslims in government jobs and in educational institutions, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptullah called the move unconstitutional and said Muslims should free themselves from the “quota mindset”. The quota was announced by the Congress-NCP state government that is facing a massive anti-incumbency as the state goes to polls this October. [caption id=“attachment_1548517” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Najma Heptullah. Photo courtesy PIB[/caption] Speaking to The Economic Times, Heptullah said such a quota has been found legally untenable earlier, thereby making this pre-poll gesture mere tokenism. “Muslims should liberate themselves from this quota mindset, from a place where they feel denigrated and afraid, to a space of self confidence. The BJP manifesto talks of Muslims as equal partners and not a vote bank to be held in place by misplaced fears,” she told ET. Heptulla has said previously too that quotas for the minority communities based on religion are untenable. The Indian Express quotes her as saying the Congress previously attempted a quota for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh but the move was mired in litigation. “They are fully aware this will never fructify because somebody will go to court again, yet they have taken the same path. They do not learn their lessons but Muslims have now seen through this. They will not be fooled,” she said. Heptulla is a former Congress member herself, also a former deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. She joined the BJP in 2004. Speaking to Business Standard, Heptulla reportedly said this was “betrayal”, a “lollipop that you know is going to be taken away”.