Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, March 19: Senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has written to Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, urging him to reject the controversial Muslim quota bill. The bill, which provides a 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts, has been a point of contention in the state.

In his letter dated Wednesday, Yatnal called for the Governor to withhold consent for the amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act (KTPP), which grants Muslims a 4 per cent reservation in government contracts.

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Yatnal stated in the letter, “The Karnataka State government has tabled a bill in the Legislative Assembly to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts, which is against the tenets of the Constitution. The amendment to the KTPP Act permits a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in civil contracts valued up to Rs 2 crore and goods and services contracts up to Rs 1 crore. This amendment was approved by the Karnataka cabinet last week.”

The MLA further argued that this move violates constitutional principles, particularly Article 15, which prohibits discrimination based on religion and caste. He added, “During the drafting of the Constitution, Dr. Ambedkar himself opposed religion-based reservations. In various states, similar attempts to provide religion-based reservations have been struck down by the courts. Despite this, the Congress government in Karnataka is engaging in vote-bank politics by granting a 4 per cent reservation to the Muslim community.”

Yatnal also pointed to a previous ruling by the Supreme Court, which had struck down similar religion-based reservations. He referred to the apex court's decision to nullify the West Bengal government’s move to classify 77 communities, mostly Muslim, as OBCs for reservation benefits. “The Supreme Court had nullified this classification, and it’s clear that religion-based reservations are under judicial scrutiny,” he remarked.

In his letter to the Governor, Yatnal emphasised, “Since religion-based reservations are under judicial scrutiny, I request your good self not to provide consent to this bill, which is unconstitutional and irrational. It has no welfare objective and seems designed merely to benefit a certain community, which is a vote bank for the ruling government in Karnataka. Sir, the act of providing reservations to Muslims in civil contracts endangers national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.”

Yatnal concluded his letter with a request: “I urge you not to approve this bill and ensure that all citizens of the state are treated equally, as per the Constitution.”

Amidst opposition to the bill, the ruling Congress government tabled the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Amendment Bill in the state Assembly on Tuesday. The bill aims to provide a 4 per cent quota for Muslims in government tenders. The Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, H.K. Patil, introduced the bill, asserting that it was designed to address the state’s unemployment issues.

The bill outlines the allocation of reservations: 17.15 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 6.95 per cent for Scheduled Tribes (STs), 15 per cent for Category 2A, and 4 per cent for Category 2B (Muslims).