2 months ago
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BJP MP K. Laxman’s allegations that respective States “misuse” the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota by including Muslims successful the class created an uproar successful Rajya Sabha starring to a walkout by Opposition members.
Mr. Laxman alleged that States specified arsenic Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Telangana— each of them Opposition ruled— had extended OBC reservations to Muslim communities successful usurpation of law provisions. He argued that the Constitution does not licence preservation connected spiritual grounds and cited B.R. Ambedkar’s stated presumption connected the matter.
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“Unfortunately, reservations meant for socially and educationally backward OBCs are present being extended connected the ground of religion,” helium said. He claimed that specified decisions were driven by “vote-bank politics”, depriving genuinely backward communities of their rightful share.
Mr. Laxman alleged that Karnataka treats “the full Muslim community” arsenic a azygous caste and grants it a dedicated 4% quota, portion West Bengal has included “97% of Muslim communities” successful the OBC list. He further claimed that Tamil Nadu and Kerala person extended important OBC benefits to Muslim groups and that the Telangana authorities attempted to supply an exclusive 4% quota to Muslims earlier it was struck down by the High Court.
Calling for a “comprehensive review” of what helium termed “religion-based reservations,” Mr. Laxman urged the Centre to guarantee that the rule of societal and acquisition backwardness, not spiritual identity, remains the ground for affirmative action.
His code was drowned successful protests from the Opposition benches, who sought to loudly antagonistic Mr. Laxman’s remarks. When neither Mr. Laxman refused to concede the crushed and Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan besides refused to let the Opposition leaders to interject, truthful they staged a walkout.
Leader of the House and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda powerfully backed Mr. Laxman’s intervention, accusing the Opposition of disrupting proceedings and abandoning parliamentary norms. “The Congress-led INDIA confederation has nary involvement successful statement oregon antiauthoritarian decorum,” Mr. Nadda said, adding that the parties had pursued “appeasement and vote-bank authorities for years.”
