The Karnataka government has assured the Supreme Court that they will not scrap the reservations for Muslims until further orders, amidst an ongoing debate surrounding the issue of Other Backward Class (OBC) reservations for Muslims. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta, representing the state of Karnataka, assured the bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna about the decision to stall the changes. Mehta stated that no admissions or appointments will be made following the changes until further orders are issued. The court deferred the hearing and pushed it to May 9.
Credits – Hindustan Times
During the hearing, the state’s representative requested a deferment of the hearing, stating that he would not be able to assist the court as he would be busy before the constitutional bench with the same-sex marriage case. However, senior advocate Dushyant Dave objected to the plea, noting that the case had already been adjourned four times. Dave called for the adjudication at the earliest, given that the statements regarding the reservation policy were made by politicians.
Earlier, the Apex court had said that the decision to scrap the quota for Muslims was based on “absolutely fallacious assumptions.” “The Karnataka government’s decision to raise 2% quotas for Vokkaliga and Lingayat each, while scrapping the 4% OBC quota for Muslims, is prima facie shaky and flawed,” the court said.
The issue of OBC reservations for Muslims has been a contentious one, with many arguing that it is a matter of social justice and equity. The decision by the Karnataka government to scrap the quota for Muslims had sparked protests and demonstrations by various Muslim groups and civil society organizations. However, with the government’s assurance to the Supreme Court, the matter is likely to be put on hold until further orders are issued.
