BJP SC Morcha leaders welcome top court ruling on conversions

Mysuru: The recent Supreme Court verdict clarifying that Dalit converts to Christianity or Islam are not eligible for Scheduled Caste (SC) reservation has been welcomed by BJP SC Morcha leaders.

Stating that the ruling puts an end to the long-standing confusion, M S Paramananda, state secretary of the BJP SC Morcha, noted that a two-judge bench of the apex court has reiterated that any person from a Scheduled Caste, who converts to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism stands disqualified from SC benefits.

Constitutional intent

“The primary objective of reservation under the Constitution is to achieve economic, social, educational, and political equality for communities that have historically faced untouchability,” Paramananda said and argued that those who convert to foreign-origin religions like Christianity or Islam —whether for liberation from untouchability, social equality, or due to inducements — cannot claim or seek SC status through ‘backdoor methods’.

Paramananda recalled a similar ruling by the Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 30, 2025, which stated that the SC Act does not apply to converts to Christianity and that they cannot claim any community-specific benefits.

Ambedkar’s vision

Invoking Dr B R Ambedkar, Paramananda pointed out that when the architect of the Constitution decided to convert, he chose Buddhism — an Indic faith — after deep study, rather than succumbing to the inducements of foreign religions. He quoted Ambedkar’s warning: “If the untouchables convert to a religion that is not of this country’s origin, it is akin to emigration”.

Call for census

Expressing concern over the impact on the existing SC populations, the BJP leader said that including converts would further complicate the ongoing debate over internal reservations and roster points in Karnataka.

“There are many ‘pseudo-believers’ who have converted, but continue to enjoy SC benefits. The government must formulate strict rules to record details of those attending churches and mosques. A clear census of converts is necessary to prevent injustice to the genuine Scheduled Caste community,” Paramananda said.