Supreme Court blocks backward-class reservation  due to conversion to Islam.

On Thursday, the BJP praised the Supreme Court’s ruling stating that Hindus from backward classes are ineligible for quota benefits in that category after converting to Islam, according to the Press Trust of India.

The party described the ruling as historic and claimed it was a “significant setback to the appeasement strategies” of the Congress and other opposition parties. The Supreme Court stated that the disadvantages experienced under the previous social structure could not be continued after conversion.

It further stated that an individual practicing a faith besides Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism could not be regarded as belonging to a Scheduled Caste. During a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia criticized the Congress and other opposition parties regarding the ruling, as reported by PTI.

Bhatia stated that the ruling was a significant setback for the Samajwadi Party and the TMC, accusing them of engaging in “appeasement politics” during their tenure in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, respectively.A panel of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar rejected the Tamil Nadu government’s application challenging a Madras High Court ruling. The high court determined that an individual who converts to Islam cannot seek reservations under the Backward Class (Muslim) category just because of their conversion.

The Supreme Court reaffirmed the high court’s decision that annulled the Tamil Nadu government’s notice providing reservations for converted Muslims, stating that the judgment did not warrant interference.
The ruling rejected the backward-class quota advantages solely due to conversion to Islam, leading the BJP to label it a defeat for Congress and other opposition groups.