Chennai: In a significant ruling, the Madras high court (HC) on Saturday ruled that a person cannot claim caste-based reservation after converting to another religion. The plea filed by a Hindu man from the most underprivileged group who converted to Islam was dismissed by the Madras High Court panel led by Justice G.R. Swaminathan. The petitioner then demanded a caste-based hiring quota for state government positions.
The bench noted that a Hindu man ceases to be a member of his caste of birth once he converts to a religion that does not recognise the caste system. According to the petitioner, his conversion to Islam took place in May 2008. He registered to take the 2018 Tamil Nadu Combined Civil Services exam. He was treated as a candidate for the General category after failing to qualify, which he learned upon inquiry.
He insisted that he ought to have been considered as a member of the Muslim underclass. He continued by claiming that by converting to Islam, he was exercising a basic right. Some Muslim groups are regarded by the Tamil Nadu government as belonging to the most underprivileged class.
Post Your Comments