New Delhi: Opposition members staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha on Monday (March 30) after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP K. Laxman said that reservations for Other Backwards Castes (OBCs) are being misused in the name of religion and accused the Congress and its allies of the INDIA alliance of Muslim appeasement politics.Laxman made the remarks during the zero hour and accused the opposition governments of Karnataka, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Telangana of using OBC reservations to favour Muslims, leading to an uproar in the House.“Unfortunately OBCs who are socially and economically backward, now reservation is being misused in the name of religion. Reservation being given on the basis of religion goes against the mandate of our Constitution. For vote bank politics, some states are extending this reservation to Muslims,” said Laxman. “In Karnataka, the entire Muslim community is treated as one caste with regards to the OBC list and being given 4% reservation exclusively for Muslims. In West Bengal, about 90% of Muslims are being included as OBCs, depriving backward communities of their rightful share. In Tamil Nadu, Muslims are nearly 95% of the OBC list; in Kerala, Muslim is listed as a caste in the OBC list.”Laxman requested that a “comprehensive review of such religion-based reservation” be conducted by the government. Opposition parties raised protests during Laxman’s speech and subsequently staged a walkout. Outside parliament, opposition members accused the BJP of open communalism and violating Article 14 of the Constitution.“The BJP raised a direct assault on the Constitution and Article 14. A BJP member argued for taking Muslims out of OBC list, and the entire BJP supported it. This is a violation of the Constitution because the Constitution does not recognise backwardness on religion but recognises backwardness on social, economic criteria,” said Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose. “To argue for the exclusion of a religious community on the basis of religion is a direct assault on the Constitution and Article 14. This is nothing but BJP’s brand of open naked brazen communalism. In protest, the entire opposition walked out of the Rajya Sabha.”Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said that the matter raised by Laxman is against the constitution and Mandal commission recommendations.“The LoP (Mallikarjun Kharge) raised this and after this the entire opposition walked out. It has become clear that the BJP does not believe in the Constitution,” he said.Inside parliament, at the end of zero hour, leader of the House and Union minister J.P. Nadda accused the opposition of doing vote bank politics.“The INDIA alliance has no interest in discussion. They are disrespectful to the Constitution and parliamentary procedures. K Laxman was raising his issue during zero hour but the INDIA alliance disrupted him. This shows they have no faith in democracy and parliamentary procedures. They have no faith in the Constitution,” he said.“The parties under the Congress’ leadership are doing vote politics and appeasement politics with the Muslims. As Laxman said, OBC does not include Muslim reservations under the Constitution. Ambedkar said the OBC category is only for Hindus. But only due to politics, these people are spoiling the atmosphere and are doing vote bank politics. They are not interested in discussion. We have said we are ready to discuss any points. But to run away like this, oppose like this, is condemnable and I want them to see good sense.”