Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh High Court today (Sep 21, 2004) struck down the new Congress Government's decision to provide five per cent reservation in jobs to Muslims. The full Bench, headed by Justice B Sudarshan Reddy quashed the Government order on the grounds that the report submitted by the Minorities Commission was "not in order" and the State did not consult the Backward Classes Commission before issuing the order.

The Bench directed the Government to constitute a Backward Classes Commission within three months to identify the eligible candidates among the minorities for reservation.

The State Government was also directed that Commission should identify and evolve a mechanism to eliminate the creamy layer to keep the reservation within the 50 per cent limit.

The Government order was challenged by the State VHP (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) president T Murlidhar Rao and a few students while a cluster of minority organisations joined as impleaded petitioners to the State Government.

A Division Bench had earlier quashed the Government order and referred the matter to a larger Bench which heard the arguments for 11 days and prononuced the judgement.