Citing the case of reservation to Muslims in Karnataka and Kerala, the Union government on Friday justified the four per cent reservation to students from the backward minority community in the educational institutions of Andhra Pradesh.

Appearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Solicitor-General G E Vahanvati said Karnataka and Kerala have been providing reservation to Muslims in the country.

“It is submitted that states such as Karnataka and Kerala do have OBC sub-categories including Muslims, who have been categorised as a separate class,” Mr Vahanvati said, while producing the copies of the order of the Karnataka and Kerala governments.

That the bulk of Muslims were socially and educationally backward castes (SEdBCs), was lost sight of over several decades under circumstances explained in the P S Krishnan report whereas other groups have had the benefits of reservation for over 30 years (including SCs converted to Christianity).

The Muslim SEdBCs, if put in the same category with existing BCs, will be able to get fair benefit of reservation in employment or educational institutions by virtue of their greater backwardness, said the affidavit filed by the government.

Justifying the quota, the government said despite providing four per cent reservation, the Andhra Pradesh government could not get students to fill up the seats in engineering colleges because of the minority community’s extreme backwardness.

New Delhi, DHNS: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide protection to a Hindu seer, who alleged that there was a threat perception to him, as he had been protesting against the demolition of Ramar Sethu or Adam’s bridge between India and Sri Lanka for the construction of a shipping canal.

When Swami Govindaramanujadasa pleaded for protection, a bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan asked him to approach the Madras High Court with the petition.