The ongoing Lok Sabha elections stand out from previous ones due to a clear shift in the Congress party’s approach, driven by a string of electoral losses that have left them desperate and inclined towards more aggressive tactics. Initiatives such as Rahul Gandhi’s proposed wealth redistribution agenda, calls for caste-based census, and suggestions for religion-based reservations are all indicative of this desperation. Notably, the Congress’s messaging is being amplified by individuals like Muhammad Zubair, founder of Alt News. Zubair recently shared a video from 2018 featuring Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, where he suggested that while Prime Minister Modi had warned of potential reservation changes under a Congress government, Fadnavis claimed his administration had already provided reservations to Muslim communities under the OBC category.
Muhammad Zubair wrote, “PM Modi has been warning/scaring people in his rally that if Congress comes to Power, They’ll snatch away reservation from OBC/SC/ST and give it to Muslims. Meanwhile here is an old video (Nov 2018) of @Dev_Fadnavis boasting that it was his party in coalition which gave reservation to 52 Muslim communities under OBC. Wonder what @narendramodi has to say about this speech.”
Besides, Mohammad Zubair, Anshuman Sail Nehru, Gopinathan Vijayaraman, and indian eagle shared the Devendra Fadnavis speech in the same vein.
By sharing a six-year-old video, Muhammad Zubair aims to suggest and rally against the current narrative of the Bharatiya Janata Party opposing Muslim reservations. He contrasts this with a statement by Devendra Fadnavis in the Maharashtra assembly, where he claimed to have granted OBC reservations to 52 Muslim communities.
This article will analyse the statements made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at an election rally in the Zaheerabad Lok Sabha constituency on May 2, 2024, emphasized his commitment to protecting reservation quotas for Dalits, Adivasis, and OBCs. He adamantly stated that his administration would not allow reservations based on religion. PM Modi criticized the Congress party, alleging that during its tenure in undivided Andhra Pradesh, it attempted to grant reservation benefits to Muslims, accusing the party of religious appeasement.
PM Modi’s remarks stemmed from the situation in Andhra Pradesh. According to reports from the Indian Express, shortly after the Congress came into power in the state in June 2004, a Government Order (GO) was issued to assess the socio-economic and educational conditions of the Muslim community with the aim of including them as OBCs. Subsequently, in July 2004, the Commissionerate of Minorities Welfare recommended a 5% reservation for Muslim minorities in various fields, which was implemented a week later.
However, on September 21, 2004, the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck down the quota, citing reasons including the lack of referral to the Backward Classes Commission and the absence of exclusion for the “creamy layer” among Muslims. Despite this setback, the Congress government persisted, introducing another ordinance in June 2005 for a 5% reservation for Muslims. This time, they passed legislation with the support of the Backward Classes Commission’s recommendation, justifying the additional quota even though it exceeded the Indra Sahwney threshold of 50%.
Nonetheless, the High Court once again invalidated the quota, citing the committee’s lack of reliance on objective criteria to determine the backwardness of Muslims as a group in Andhra Pradesh.
Therefore, PM Modi asserted that the Congress party, during its tenure in Andhra Pradesh, attempted twice to implement reservation for the entire Muslim community, not just among OBC Muslims, but for all Muslims. However, both attempts were thwarted by the High Court.
According to a report by Business Today dated April 24, 2024, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) confirmed, based on data from the Karnataka government, that all castes and communities of Muslims in Karnataka have been categorized as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for the purpose of reservation in employment and educational institutions under the state government. The NCBC stated that in category II-B, all Muslims in Karnataka have been designated as OBCs, with 17 Muslim communities listed under category 1 and 19 under category 2A.
Similarly, in Kerala, all Muslims are receiving reservation benefits regardless of their socio-economic status. This indicates that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), oppose providing reservations to the entire Muslim community. The Congress party has set a precedent for this approach in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. At the same time, the INDI alliance partner CPI has also extended reservations to the Muslim community as a whole in Kerala.
According to reports from the Indian Express dated November 30, 2018, then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated, “There are certain backward castes among Muslims who retained their caste identities after converting from Hinduism. Currently, around 52 backward castes among Muslims are benefiting from reservations.” He further mentioned that those advocating for additional reservations for Muslim communities could approach the SBCC for a survey, and the government would abide by the recommendations of the SBCC.
Later, in response to questions from Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on December 1, 2018, Fadnavis reiterated that the government could not grant reservations to the Muslim community solely based on religion. However, he acknowledged that some individuals who had converted from Hinduism to Islam were receiving reservations based on their caste identities.
In essence, Fadnavis emphasized providing reservations to backward communities within the Muslim population, rather than extending reservations to the entire Muslim community based on religion. He clarified that reservations were being granted on the basis of backwardness, not religion.
The government has already extended reservations to certain Muslim communities under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. For instance, in Bihar, communities like Bhakho, Bhathira, Chik, Dafali, Dhobi, Darzi, and Madari receive reservations under the OBC category. Similarly, in Gujarat, communities such as Bafan, Dafar, Faqir, Jat, and Makrani are eligible for OBC reservations for Muslims. In Madhya Pradesh, communities like Ranrej, Hela, Dhobi, and Mewati, among others, also receive reservations under the Muslim OBC category. A report from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) will illustrate the backward communities within the Muslim religion that are benefiting from reservations in various states.
Muhammad Zubair, propagandist with an agenda, attempted to construct a false narrative suggesting a contradiction in Prime Minister Modi’s stance on reservations for Muslims. While Zubair highlighted instances where former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has provided reservations to Muslims, he conveniently overlooked a crucial distinction: the difference between giving reservations based on religion for the entire Muslim community and offering reservations specifically to backward Muslims.
In Modi’s speeches addressing reservations for Muslims, he has specifically cited cases such as Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, where the Congress party implemented reservations for all Muslims regardless of their socio-economic status. However, it’s essential to recognize that providing reservations to backward Muslims is not a novel concept; many states have been doing so already, focusing solely on those within the community who are economically or socially disadvantaged.
| Claim | PM Modi and Devendra Fadnavis hold different views on Muslim reservations. |
| Claimed by | Muhammad Zubair and others |
| Fact Check | Misleading |
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