The Andhra Pradesh high court on Tuesday struck down the new Congress government's decision to provide five per cent reservation in jobs to Muslims.

A division bench had earlier quashed the government order and referred the matter to a larger bench, which heard arguments for 11 days before pronouncing the judgment.

The full bench, headed by Justice B Sudarshan Reddy, quashed the government order on the ground 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.

It directed the government to constitute a Backward Classes Commission within three months to identify eligible candidates among minorities for reservation. The Commission would also have to identify and evolve a mechanism to eliminate the creamy layer to keep the reservation within the 50% limit

Vishwa Hindu Parishad president T Murlidhar Rao and a few students challenged the government order while a cluster of minority organisations joined as impleaded petitioners to the state government.

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