The Congress has welcomed the decision taken by the Union Cabinet, to fix a 4.5 per cent share for minorities within the existing 27 per cent OBC reservation. The congress party termed it as a praiseworthy step and that the party was only fulfilling a promise given in its manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Digvijay Singh said the Congress had promised reservation for OBC Muslims in its election manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. He said that promise has been fulfilled.

The BJP and its ally JD(U) have opposed the decision while the Samajwadi party and CPI-M said the quota was just tokenism and demanded an increase. BJP leader Anant Kumar said the quota-within-a-quota for government jobs and university seats is wrong and that the party will oppose the decision. Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, the BJP will strongly oppose such a move taken by the government which is based on caste system.

Samajwadi supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said the Cabinet decision was nothing but deception and demanded that minorities should get at least 18 per cent reservation.

The CPI (M) on Friday said the decision of Cabinet to provide five per cent reservation for minorities within the OBC quota in jobs is most inadequate.

In a statement issued in New Delhi the Party Polit Bureau said it does not reflect the main recommendation of the Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission Report.

The CPI (M) has demanded to implement the Ranganath Mishra Commission Report to provide for ten percent reservation for Muslims and five per cent for other minorities.