The Karnataka government on Tuesday further extended its assurance to the Supreme Court that it won’t undertake any appointments or admissions in the wake of the state government’s decision to scrap four per cent reservation for Muslim OBCs belonging to Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.

Taking on record the extension of assurance, a bench of Justice K M Joseph and Justice B V Nagarathna allowed the Karnataka government time till weekend to file its reply to the petitions challenging the scrapping of the four percent reservation for the Muslim OBCs in the State.

The bench posted the matter for further consideration on April 25, 2023.

The top court in the last heating of the matter on April 13, while asking the Karnataka government to file its reply to the petitions challenging its decision, had  recorded the assurance saying “We record the statement of the Solicitor General that no admission or appointment is going to be made till 18th April, 2023 on the basis of the impugned GO.”

Besides seeking time to file reply to the petition challenging the decision to scrap reservation, the Solicitor General Tushar appearing for Karnataka government told the bench that he is to appear before the five-judge constitution bench hearing a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. He said that senior advocate Kapil Sibal, too is appearing for one of the petitioners challenging the decision to scrap Muslim OBCs reservation, too is appearing before the constitution bench.

Senior advocate Sibal said that the reply by the Karnataka government should reach them  by Sunday – April 23 and not on the morning of April 25, when the matter is listed for hearing.  However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that they needed the weekend to finalise the reply, making it clear that it (reply) cannot be shared on April 23.

The top court has been approached by L. Ghulam Rasool, Central Muslim Association and Anjuman-E-Islam challenging the scrapping of four percent Muslim OBC reservation among Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.

In the last hearing of the matter, the top court had expressed its reservation over the decision and posted the matter for today after the bench was assured that no appointment or admissions would be made in pursuance to the government order.