BJP MP K. Laxman’s allegations that several States “misuse” the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota by including Muslims in the category created an uproar in Rajya Sabha leading to a walkout by Opposition members.
Mr. Laxman alleged that States such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala and Telangana— all of them Opposition ruled— had extended OBC reservations to Muslim communities in violation of constitutional provisions. He argued that the Constitution does not permit reservation on religious grounds and cited B.R. Ambedkar’s stated position on the matter.
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“Unfortunately, reservations meant for socially and educationally backward OBCs are now being extended on the basis of religion,” he said. He claimed that such decisions were driven by “vote-bank politics”, depriving genuinely backward communities of their rightful share.
Mr. Laxman alleged that Karnataka treats “the entire Muslim community” as a single caste and grants it a dedicated 4% quota, while West Bengal has included “97% of Muslim communities” in the OBC list. He further claimed that Tamil Nadu and Kerala have extended significant OBC benefits to Muslim groups and that the Telangana government attempted to provide an exclusive 4% quota to Muslims before it was struck down by the High Court.
Calling for a “comprehensive review” of what he termed “religion-based reservations,” Mr. Laxman urged the Centre to ensure that the principle of social and educational backwardness, not religious identity, remains the basis for affirmative action.
His speech was drowned in protests from the Opposition benches, who sought to loudly counter Mr. Laxman’s remarks. When neither Mr. Laxman refused to concede the ground and Chairman C.P. Radhakrishnan also refused to allow the Opposition leaders to interject, so they staged a walkout.
Leader of the House and Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda strongly backed Mr. Laxman’s intervention, accusing the Opposition of disrupting proceedings and abandoning parliamentary norms. “The Congress-led INDIA alliance has no interest in debate or democratic decorum,” Mr. Nadda said, adding that the parties had pursued “appeasement and vote-bank politics for years.”
