NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that there should not be politicisation of the issue of 4% quota for Muslims in jobs and education in Karnataka as the matter was being heard by it.
Karnataka is going for Assembly polls on May 10 and the election campaign is going on high pitch in the state.
Taking up the reservation matter, a bench of Justices K M Joseph, B V Nagarathna and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said, "We cannot permit politicisation like this, when we are ready to hear the matter.
Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the petitioners, cited some statement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, amid the ongoing electioneering.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Karnataka government, refuted the allegation even as he maintained any religion based reservation is unconstitutional.
At the same time, he asserted, "In manifesto, one is entitled to".
"When matter is sub judice and before this Court, such statements should not be made," the bench said.
"Public statements on this should not be made. We have nothing to do with politics," the bench added.
Mehta again contended that such observations cannot be made without knowing the exact statement by the Minister and the context in which it was made. He also submitted it was the right of every individual to take a position on such vital issues.
Dave, for his part, said he can put the statement of the Minister on record before the court.
The Central Muslim Association sought a direction to restrain the press from publishing such speeches.
The court adjourned the hearing in the matter, arising out of a batch of petitions filed by L Ghulam Rasool and others, to July, as letter was circulated for it due to counsel's engagement in the Constitution bench case pertaining to legality of the same sex marriage.
Before that Solicitor General Mehta once again made a statement that no action would be taken on the state government's March 27 decision to scrap the 4% reservation to Muslims.
