A political flashpoint developed in the Rajya Sabha on Monday after BJP MP K Laxman charged the opposition-governed states with offering the benefits of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation scheme to all Muslims. As the opposition members staged a walkout in protest, Laxman brought up the issue during the Zero Hour, stating that the states were violating the norms set for the reservation policies.
He stated, “OBC reservation is being misused in the name of religion,” arguing that quotas are meant for socially and educationally backward classes, not for communities identified solely on religious grounds.
States under scrutiny as legal questions surface
States such as Telangana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala have been cited by Laxman as those in which Muslims have been broadly included in the list of OBCs. Furthermore, he has said that such decisions run counter to the principle of not granting any reservations on religious grounds.
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“There should be a comprehensive review of such religion-based reservations,” he added, while referring to past observations by the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu High Courts that had questioned similar practices.
Opposition protest and walkout
The statement prompted a strong reaction from the opposition members, resulting in a walkout from the house. The development briefly disrupted the proceedings and underscored the political divide on the matter of reservation.
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Government hits back
Following the walkout, Leader of the House JP Nadda criticised the opposition’s response. He said the opposition was “disrespectful of the Constitution and parliamentary proceedings” and accused it of avoiding debate.
Nadda also charged the opposition parties, including the Congress, with undermining the constitutional values. He further charged the opposition parties with treating the Muslim population as a vote bank and appeasing them. The BJP had earlier expressed similar apprehensions in states like West Bengal and Karnataka over the policies being followed on the issue of reservations and quotas.
