Maharashtra scraps 5% quota for Muslims, opposition alleges ‘anti-minority’ move

The Government of Maharashtra has withdrawn the five per cent reservation for Muslims in government jobs and educational institutions, prompting strong criticism from Opposition parties that have branded the move “anti-minority”.

A Government Resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday formally cancels earlier decisions and an ordinance that had provided a five per cent quota for socially and educationally backward Muslims under the Special Backward Category (A). The administration said the previous ordinance had lapsed and that an interim court stay was in force on the matter.

The reservation had been introduced in 2014 by the then Indian National Congress-Nationalist Congress Party coalition government, which had also proposed a 16 per cent quota for the Maratha community.

Under the fresh resolution, all related circulars and decisions dating back to 2014 have been annulled. The order also halts the issuance of caste and non-creamy layer certificates to Muslims under the Special Backward Category.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance — comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Nationalist Congress Party and the Shiv Sena — has defended the decision as a legal necessity.

However, Opposition leaders have sharply criticised the step. Former Congress working committee member Naseem Khan described the withdrawal as “extremely wrong”, arguing that it would deprive socially and educationally backward sections within the Muslim community of opportunities for advancement.

Khan alleged that although the Bombay High Court had granted interim relief permitting a five per cent reservation in education, subsequent governments failed to ensure its continued implementation beyond the 2014–15 academic year. He also claimed that several minority welfare schemes introduced under the earlier Congress-led administration had been curtailed.

The Congress leader further alleged irregularities in the granting of minority status certificates to certain educational institutions, calling for an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department or a Special Investigation Team.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the decision demonstrated that the BJP did not value Muslim leaders within its ranks or among its allies, asserting that they would not receive justice under the current dispensation.

Minority communities in Maharashtra include Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and Parsis. Opposition leaders have urged the government to ensure equitable development and opportunities for all sections, even as the latest decision intensifies political tensions in the State.

With PTI inputs