Muslim groups in Karnataka organised protests in several towns and cities on Monday, March 27, demanding the reinstatement of 4% reservation for Muslims under the 2B group of Other Backward Classes (OBC). The BJP government in Karnataka recently announced its decision to remove Muslims from the OBC category under the state’s reservation matrix and placed them under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category. Protests were held by various Muslim groups in different parts of Karnataka including Koppal, Bidar, Kalaburgi, and Mysuru, with the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) leading the protests in Mysuru.
#Muslim community protested in #Koppal demanding to reinstate 2B reservation which was taken away by state govt. #Karnataka govt has put them in EWS category. #Karnataka #KarnatakaElection2023 pic.twitter.com/G78DRSPIhG
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) March 27, 2023
Members of SDPI called the state government’s move unconstitutional and said that they would challenge the decision both legally and through protests. The decision has resulted in the removal of a 4% quota previously available to Muslims in the state, which was reallocated to newly-created OBC groups, 2C and 2D, designated for Vokkaligas and Lingayats. With this, the quota for Vokkaligas in the state has been increased to 6% from 4%, and to 7% from 5% for Lingayats.
Today a protest was held against the BJP government demanding restoration of reservation by SDPI of Humanabad Vidhan Sabha Constituency in Bidar District #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/wozZn1gZsA
— Zeeshan Shaikh (@Zeeshan20628096) March 27, 2023
Muslims who are still eligible for reservation have now been placed under the EWS category in Karnataka. This was one of the Basavaraj Bommai Cabinet’s last decisions before the Assembly elections this year, as the model code of conduct may come into place at any time and suspend activity. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, an organisation of Indian Muslim scholars, has also declared its intention to challenge the Karnataka government's decision in court.