DMK president M K Stalin urged the TVK government in Tamil Nadu to file a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the denial of reservation to Hindu Backward Class members who converted to Islam.
Stalin argued that religious conversion did not erase historical caste discrimination and social backwardness, calling the denial of reservation benefits contrary to social justice.
Citing the DMK government’s efforts to extend reservation protections to Adi Dravidars who converted to Christianity, Stalin urged the TVK government to continue those efforts and challenge the ruling.
Stalin Urges TVK Govt To Move SC Over Reservation For Muslim Converts
The DMK chief said religious conversion does not erase caste-based social backwardness and urged the TVK government to challenge the ruling
Summary
DMK president and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday urged the state’s TVK government to file a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court against an order upholding the denial of reservation to Hindu Backward Class (BC) members who converted to Islam.
Stalin said the order went against the principle of social justice, arguing that religious conversion did not erase the social backwardness arising from caste discrimination.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a Madras High Court verdict denying reservation benefits to Hindu BC members after their conversion to Islam. In response, Stalin called on the state government to challenge the ruling to protect the reservation rights of affected communities.
What Did Stalin Say?
In a statement, Stalin argued that social backwardness was the result of historical and entrenched social discrimination and could not be removed simply by changing one’s religion.
“Social backwardness does not arise in a day or a generation. It is the result of a social system built over thousands of years. Conversion to another religion does not erase it,” he said.
He said members of the Backward Classes (BC), Most Backward Classes (MBC) and Scheduled Castes (SC) who had faced caste-based oppression should continue to receive reservation benefits.
“Only this will uphold social justice. Denying reservation on the grounds of religious conversion is against social justice,” Stalin said.
Stalin Cites DMK’s ‘Dravidian Model’
Stalin also referred to the DMK government’s earlier efforts to extend reservation protections to communities affected by caste discrimination after religious conversion.
He said the government had adopted a resolution seeking reservation for Adi Dravidars who converted to Christianity and had called for a constitutional amendment to enable the measure.
Stalin urged the present TVK government to continue those efforts and challenge the Supreme Court order. “The TVK government should carry forward these efforts,” he said.
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