Madras High Court quashes Tamil Nadu order on BCM reservations
The Madras High Court has struck down a Tamil Nadu government order that let people who converted to Islam from Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes, Denotified Communities, and Scheduled Castes get reservation benefits under the Backward Class Muslim (BCM) category.
The judges said you cannot join one of Tamil Nadu's seven BCM communities just by converting: these are decided by birth, not a change of religion.
Sameer Ahamed denied Labbai certification
This all started when Sameer Ahamed, who converted from Hinduism to Islam in 2015, asked to be certified as a Muslim Labbai but was denied.
The court pointed out that earlier rulings say converts are "Just a Mussalman" and do not automatically become part of specific Muslim communities.
The judges also made it clear: government orders cannot overrule court decisions, and giving such reservations would go against the Constitution.