The TMMK is protesting the Supreme Court’s order against quotas for those who convert to Islam

People protested against the Chennai High Court verdict on Tuesday. | Photo credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK) president MH Jawahirullah, along with party cadre, staged a protest against the recent Madurai Bench order of the Madras High Court quashing the Tamil Nadu Government Order (GO) 2024, which allows OBCs who have converted to the Islamic government to avail reservation in higher education for Backward Class Muslims (BCMs).

Mr. Jawahirullah appealed to the state government and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take legal action to overturn the court verdict. “The (earlier) DMK government extended reservations for backward class persons who convert to Islam. That has been revoked. We are protesting against this order,” he said.

Mr. Jawahirullah said the case that led to the judgment was about a person hailing from Thoothukudi who sought a BCM community certificate, which was rejected. “In this case, the court should have either ordered the Tahsildar to issue a certificate or held that such an order cannot be issued. Instead, Justice GR Swaminathan referred to a 1951 case where several cases had since come up which reaffirmed that Muslim converts could be identified as BCM,” he said.

Published – 30 Jun 2026 23:21 IST