Some states misusing OBC quota by including Muslims: Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman

2 min readNew DelhiMar 31, 2026 05:25 AM IST

THE OPPOSITION on Monday walked out of the Rajya Sabha after BJP MP K Laxman raised the issue of some states “misusing” OBC reservation by including Muslims in the category, and demanded that the government order a comprehensive review of such practices. “Communal reservation cannot be entertained,” he said.

The Opposition staged a walkout out after they were not given the opportunity to raise a point of order after Laxman’s Zero Hour address. Following this, leader of the House J P Nadda said the Opposition was not interested in discussion of debate.

Laxman said the entire Muslim population in Karnataka was treated as one caste and given 4% reservation. In West Bengal, nearly 97% of Muslim communities have been included in OBC list. In Tamil Nadu, 95% of Muslims are covered under OBC list, with 3.5% quota for backward Muslims. In Kerala, Muslims have been listed as a caste in OBC list and their reservation raised from 3% to 12%. In Telangana, aside from the Muslims included in the OBC list, Congress government also extended 4% reservation exclusively for Muslims, which the HC struck down, Laxman said.