The Supreme Court has upheld a Madras High Court ruling that people converting to Islam cannot claim reservations under the Backward Class (Muslim) category.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld a ruling by the Madras High Court that stated persons from the Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities and Scheduled Castes who convert to Islam cannot claim reservations under the Backward Class (Muslim) category. This ruling follows an earlier decision made by the High Court on June 24, when it struck down a Tamil Nadu government order.
On Thursday, the bench clarified that a person converting to Islam does not automatically become a member of one of the seven notified backward class social communities in the state. The bench further stated that 'his former caste status cannot be transposed to the Muslim backward class category, nor can his private religious body conclusively determine such status entitlement.'
In March 2023, the Supreme Court had previously ruled that only persons belonging to the Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh faiths can claim the Scheduled Caste status. As a result, a Dalit person converting to any religion other than these three loses their Scheduled Caste status, regardless of their status at birth.
Source:
Scroll.in
