On February 17, 2026, the Maharashtra government issued an order scrapping the process for caste verification and validation certificates for Muslim reservation. This move effectively ends the 5% reservation for Muslims in government and semi-government jobs and education in the state. Originally, in 2014, the Congress-NCP government had announced reservation for Muslims and Marathas under the Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) category. Muslims were to get 5% reservation, while Marathas were allotted 16%. The Muslim reservation was based on longstanding demands, including recommendations from the Sachar Commission. An ordinance granting 5% reservation to Muslims was issued in 2014 but lapsed on December 23, 2014, after the BJP government came to power and failed to pass a law within six months. A 2014 Bombay High Court ruling cancelled reservation in jobs but allowed reservation in education. However, since the ordinance had lapsed, even educational benefits were not implemented. The Maharashtra government had issued various orders in 2014 and 2015 to provide caste certificates and validate the process. Tuesday’s order has scrapped all these earlier orders. Opposition leaders criticised the BJP-led government’s decision. NCP-SP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said, “BJP-led Maharashtra government’s decision to revoke 5 per cent reservation to SEBC Muslims proves that the BJP foes not value Muslim leaders of BJP and their allies.” Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Krishna Hegde defended the new government, saying the previous Congress-NCP government failed to make a proper law and that “full reservation of the backward communities has been restored by the Mahayuti government.”