Keeping mum over the issue of reservation for Muslims, the Congress today stressed the need for “modern” education for the upliftment of the community, during a “Conference on Reservations for Muslims” organised by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind.

Quoting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s message, Congress Minister Shakeel Ahmad said the recommendations of the Sachar Committee would be discussed in Parliament during the ongoing session. Speaking on the occasion HRD Minister Arjun Singh, said: “You should not send your children to such schools from where they could only learn to pray.”

Taking the opportunity, party general secretary Digvijay Singh lashed out at the BJP and said it was dividing the society.

However, the lack of stand on the issue of reservation did not go down well with Kamal Farooqui, member of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board. “How could all of you forget that you are participating in a conference on reservation for Muslims? Can you kindly clear your stand on reservation today?” But, Jamait Ulema-i-Hind’s Mahmood Madni intervention prevented the matter from turning ugly.

In reply to a question as to whether he was happy with the Congress leaders’ response to the reservation debate, Madni said it was “not very enthusiastic”. “We had hoped a lot from the party but it did not say anything on reservation. Even Sonia Gandhi’s letter was also not very strong,” he added.

Meanwhile, RLD president Ajit Singh called for reservation for Muslims, saying a panel should carefully study the proposal. Going a step further E Ahamed, Minister of State for External Affairs said the Constitution needs to be ammended and reservation for Muslims incorporated.