Patna, Dec 2 (IANS): Muslims in Bihar are divided over the central government's proposal to consider reservations for them within the 27 percent quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs). While some say reservations should be applicable to the entire community, others say Dalits among them should be given priority.

"It is an election stunt. There is a move to divert attention from the countrywide protest against Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail. If the Congress-led government at the centre is serious about reservation to backward Muslims, it should bring a proposal in parliament," said Ali Anwar, a Janata Dal-United MP.

Former Rajya Sabha member Ezaj Ali, known to champion the cause of Dalit Muslims, said the central government's proposal was welcome. But it would benefit only backward Muslims in central government jobs. The centre must consider reservations for Dalit Muslims, he said.

Ali, who is also national president of the All India United Muslim Morcha (AIUMM), was one of the first to demand reservations for Dalit Muslims over a decade ago.

"Backward Muslims will get some benefit from it, but all Muslims will not. The central government should implement the recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra and Sacchar committee reports. Both reports had recommended 10 percent reservations for Muslims. Why is the centre sitting over it?" Maulana Anishur Rahman Qasmi, the administrator of Patna-based Muslim organisation Imarat Shariah, said.

The general secretary of Jamiatul Ulema, Bihar and Jharkhand, Husne Ahmad Qadri, agreed and said reservations for backward Muslims would not solve the problem. "The so-called forward Muslims are still lagging behind, their socio-economic and educational conditions are poor."

"Forward Muslims should also be given reservations, otherwise a large chunk of Muslims will be deprived of the mainstream. The centre should implement the Ranganath and Sachhar committee recommendations," he said.

Muslims make up around 16 percent of the 10.5 crore population of Bihar.

Haji Sanaullah Rizvi, head of Adare-Sharia, another Muslim organisation, said backward Muslims would benefit if the government provided a quota within quota, but "the centre should provide reservation to Muslims as per their population, which is about 14 percent (in the country)."

Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday said a proposal to fix quota for backward Muslims within the OBC quota would come before the cabinet "soonest" but did not give a timeline.

He said the issue has been on the government's agenda for the last two years.