Tamil Nadu assembly on Monday passed a Bill to provide reservation to backward class Muslims and Christians in educational institutions and government jobs.
The Bill, which will replace an ordinance promulgated last month, was unanimously passed by voice vote amidst thumping of desks by members of the House.
The Bill sought to provide three-and-a-half per cent reservation each to Muslims and Christians within the 30 per cent reservation provided for backward classes as per a law enacted in 1994.
Earlier, moving the bill, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said it was a 'golden day' in the history of Tamil Nadu assembly and a revolutionary moment in the history of social justice.
Despite several hurdles and opposition, the law had been brought in to reinforce the right of minorities. Though it got the 'democracy's stamp of approval' on Monday, it had not cleared all hurdles yet, Karunanidhi said, in an apparent reference to possible legal challenge to it.
Members of the Congress, Pattali Makkal Katchi, Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist welcomed the Bill and urged the chief minister to take steps to ensure that the new legislation faced no legal hurdles.
PMK legislature party leader G K Mani and K Balabarathy (CPI-M) also requested Karunanidhi to impress upon the Centre to implement the recommendations of the Sachar Committee at the earliest.
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