Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has reportedly said that his government will consider the request to extend reservation to the Backward Class, Most Backward Class and denotified communities who have converted to Islam. The move has been described by the DMK as a social justice initiative.
The proposal has been made ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and days after Thalapathy Vijay announced his political entry.
Quotas to Muslim converts are likely to result in a political controversy of sorts. In 2023, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that reservation for the Muslim community is against the Constitution. In 2022, the Modi government told the Supreme Court of India that Dalits converted to Christianity and Islam cannot be given SC status, as there is no backwardness or oppression in those religions.
The latest proposal by Stalin has been opposed by many. "On one hand, you argue caste is a curse only in Hinduism and other religions are free of it. On the other hand, you want the Government itself to extend caste to other religions. Caste exists in all religions here but the Government giving it official sanction is not a great idea. Hopefully, the courts will strike this down," wrote political commentator Sumanth Raman.
