Today, the Supreme Court directed that the Karnataka government's decision to scrap the four per cent quota for Muslims will not be implemented till May 9 after the state sought time to file its reply.

A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna said the earlier regime of a four percent quota to Muslims will continue to hold field till May 9, when the matter will be heard next, without any prejudice to the contentions to be raised by the state government.

At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said he will be filing the reply during the day.

"I will be filing it today but the problem is I (solicitor general) am in personal difficulty as I am arguing before the constitution bench which is hearing pleas related to same-sex marriage. Kindly put the matter for some other day", he told the bench. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the petitioners, opposed the request for adjournment by Mehta and said the hearing has already been deferred four times.

Mehta said the interim order passed by the court is already in the petitioners' favour. Dave requested the court to record the submission of Mehta that impugned orders, scrapping the quota for Muslims will not be implemented and the earlier order of March 30, 2002, granting the quota will hold the field till the next date of hearing.

The bench agreed with Dave and recorded the submission, while posting the matter for further hearing on May 9.

On April 18, the top court had deferred till April 25 hearing on a batch of pleas challenging scrapping of the four per cent Muslim quota.