Legal steps on to ensure Muslim quota: Rosaiah

Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Tuesday sought to assuage apprehensions among the Muslim members of the State Assembly over reservations in jobs and educational institutions by stating that the government was taking all legal steps to ensure that the reservations continue.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks for the Governor's address to the joint sitting of the Legislature he said, ''Members need not have any apprehensions over the reservations issue.''

Earlier, All India Majlis-e-Ittihadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi sought a clarification on the steps taken by the government to protect the quota for minorities as hardly two months were left for the start of the admission process for the next academic year and the Andhra Pradesh High Court, in a recent ruling struck down reservations for the Muslims.

The Chief Minister reminded the House that the Government had filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court within  hours of the High Court quashing the law enacted by the Assembly to ensure quota for the Minorities. "The government is making sincere efforts to ensure quota for Muslim Minorities,” he added.

Senior counsel K Parasaran would argue the State's case before the Supreme Court. The government had spoken to Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and sought the assistance of the Additional Solicitor General to overcome legal problems, the Chief Minister said.