Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 5: The Congress-led Karnataka government is considering a proposal to introduce a 4% reservation for Muslims in civil contracts, aligning with existing reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Communities, and Backward Classes. The move has sparked criticism from the opposition BJP, which accused the government of pursuing ‘appeasement politics’ and violating the spirit of the Constitution.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah’s government is preparing to amend the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act 1999 to facilitate this reservation policy. According to sources, the finance department has drafted the proposal, and law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil has expressed his support. The matter is expected to be discussed in the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening, with plans to introduce the bill during the upcoming Budget session if approved.
Reacting strongly to the development, Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra alleged that the Congress was pushing the state towards division and unrest. "The Congress government's minority appeasement is leading the state towards strife. They are ready to render injustice to all communities in the name of providing reservation for Muslims," he said.
Vijayendra further criticized the government for not releasing funds for legislators and questioned the effectiveness of the reservation if no tenders were being called for. "When no tender is called and work is allotted, what's the use of reservation?" he asked.
He also accused the Congress of only considering Muslims as a minority group while ignoring other genuinely marginalized communities such as Madivala, Savita, and others. Vijayendra argued that true leadership would involve empowering all backward communities and enhancing their economic strength, rather than focusing on a single community.
The BJP leader claimed that offering reservations based on religion compromises transparency and goes against the principles of the Constitution, as envisioned by Dr B R Ambedkar. He emphasized that if the proposed reservation policy were extended to all minority communities, the BJP would not oppose it.
Previously, the Congress government had amended the KTTP Act to provide a 24.01% reservation for oppressed communities in government tenders up to Rs 50 lakh. The limit was later extended to contracts worth up to Rs 1 crore in March 2023.
The latest proposal for a 4% quota for Muslims in government contracts comes after a delegation of Muslim legislators and community leaders submitted a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah. While the government had initially considered the demand, it had withdrawn the proposal following controversy.
Vijayendra warned that the government's actions could backfire, urging CM Siddaramaiah to focus on uplifting marginalized communities instead of engaging in what he described as ‘appeasement politics’.