The Supreme Court slammed the Karnataka government’s decision to scrap the 4% Other Backward Classes (OBC) Muslim quota on Thursday, stating the action is based on “absolutely fallacious assumptions.”
“The Karnataka government’s decision to increase 2% quotas for Vokkaliga and Lingayat each while eliminating the 4% OBC quota for Muslims appears to be shaky and flawed,” the Supreme Court remarked.
A bench of Justices K.M. Joseph and B.V. Nagarathna told the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Karnataka government: “We’re just saying that prima facie, the order you have passed appears to suggest that the foundation of your decision-making process is shaky and flawed.”
Though, it did not stay the scrapping of the 4 per cent Muslim quota, it made several strong observations against the Karnataka government and sought government’s response by Monday on a plea against scrapping of the quota.
Justice Nagarathna queried Mehta, what was the great urgency to scrap the quota as the decision is based on an interim report, and the state government could have waited for the final report.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, told the Supreme Court that no admission or appointment will be made on the basis of the notification till the next date of hearing on April 18.
Last month, the Karnataka government abolished the 4% OBC reservation for Muslims and reallocated it evenly among the strong Vokkaliga and Lingayat populations. Muslims who qualify for quotas are now classified under the economically weaker sections (EWS).
