Mangalore: The All India Beary Parishat in a meet on Friday has urged the UPA government to provide 8% internal reservation to backward Muslim population, within OBC reservation quota (of 27%).

The parishat working President, B.A. Mohd. Haneef released this information to Press reporters on Dec 9.

Muslims have a reservation in local bodies’ elections under 2A category. They constitute about 15% of the country’s total population of 108 crores, so they should get 8% reservation of DBC share, he explained.

He disputed Praveen Togadia’s contention that internal reservation on religious basis, was not acceptable under Indian Constitution. Dr. Praveen is general secretary of international VHP, and based his argument on OBC Quota, as relating to castes and not to a religion with no castes (as Muslims).

Haneef stressed the point-that-such statements of VHP (that Muslims should embrace Hinduism to become OBCs) would increase the rifts between Hindus (who observe cstes) and Muslims (who have no castes), and end up dividing a national society.

The 27% reservation for OBCs had been implemented since 1993, Haneef said. But Muslims were not in t hat list. However, the Central Government in an order dt 06-12-1999 agreed to include Muslims (except nine groups such as Navarjat and Bohra) in the reservation lists.