Supreme Court says person converting from Hinduism to Islam can’t claim ‘backward’ quota

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that social backwardness of a person can't be transferred from the Hindu social order to a non-Hindu social order after he converts to another religion.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar dismissed Tamil Nadu government's plea against the Madras High Court order, which held that a person converting to Islam can't claim reservation under Backward Class (Muslim) category solely on the basis of conversion.

While upholding the high court order, which had quashed the Tamil Nadu government's notification to grant reservation to converted Muslims, the top court said it called for no interference.

On August 7, the top court had reserved its decision on the plea moved by the state government against the high court verdict.

The state government's appeal said the impugned judgment gives rise to substantial questions concerning the permissible scope of interference with executive policy framed pursuant to the recommendation of an expert statutory commission.