BJP Leader Urges Tamil Nadu to Drop 3.5% Quota for Muslims Based on Caste

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Minority Morcha National Secretary, Syed Ibrahim, also known as Vellore Ibrahim, has called on the Tamil Nadu government to withdraw or cancel the 3.5% internal reservation for Muslims that is based on caste. Speaking at a press conference at the Madurai District Collectorate on Monday, he argued that such a reservation violates both constitutional principles and Islamic teachings.

Ibrahim pointed to a recent judgment by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, which declared unconstitutional a 2024 government order (G.O.) that allowed a person converting to Islam from Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities, or Scheduled Castes to be classified as Backward Class (Muslim). The court relied on a 1951 judgment that stated conversion to Islam makes a person merely a Muslim, not a member of any caste.

The 2024 G.O. was issued by the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. Ibrahim alleged that the order was motivated by vote-bank politics and was contrary to both judicial precedent and Islamic principles. He stated that Islam teaches equality before God and rejects caste hierarchies, adding that people who convert to Islam do so to escape caste discrimination. Providing reservation based on caste, he argued, goes against these Islamic values.

Ibrahim urged the state government not to appeal the High Court's judgment and instead take steps to cancel the internal reservation for Muslims based on caste. He submitted a representation to this effect to the Madurai district administration.

The issue of caste-based reservation within the Muslim community has been contentious in Tamil Nadu. The state provides 3.5% reservation for Muslims under the Backward Classes category, but the internal quota—dividing it among caste groups—has been challenged in court. The High Court's ruling now leaves the matter in the hands of the state government, which must decide whether to appeal or revise its policy.

This development adds to the ongoing debate over religion-based reservations in India, where the Constitution allows affirmative action for socially and educationally backward classes, regardless of religion. Critics argue that caste-based quotas within religious minorities can perpetuate divisions, while supporters say they address historical discrimination by certain caste groups within those communities.