Patna, July 17 : Dalit Muslims in Bihar have demanded that Mallick Muslims should be withdrawn from the backward caste list of the state government.
A delegation of Dalit Muslim leaders comprising the newly-formed Federation for Minorities Rights, Mahatma Phule Samta Parishad and All India Backward Class-Scheduled Castes-Minority Federation met the chairman of the Bihar State Backward Class Commission here Thursday to protest the government decision to declare upper caste Mallick Muslims as a backward caste.
Dalit Muslim leaders made it clear to the commission that the state government's decision was against the reservation policy and the constitution.
"We have expressed our protest against declaration of Mallick Muslims as backwards and demanded that this caste should be withdrawn from the backward castes list of the government," said Irshadul Haque, federation vice-president.
Earlier in July, hundreds of Dalit Muslims from various groups protested the decision to declare upper caste Mallick Muslims as backwards and threatened a state-wide agitation and challenge the government decision in a court of law.
(IANS)
