Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, March 7: The Karnataka BJP has strongly criticised the Congress-led government’s budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, labelling it as a "halal" budget and accusing the state of indulging in religion-based reservation and appeasement politics.
In a post on social media, Amit Malviya, BJP's in-charge of the National Information and Technology Department and co-incharge of West Bengal, condemned the measures, asserting that the Congress was undermining the rights of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), as guaranteed in Dr B R Ambedkar’s Constitution.
He stated, "No reservation can be provided based on religion. India will not let the Congress succeed with their sinister plans."
Malviya also recalled remarks made by former prime minister Manmohan Singh in December 2006 and April 2009, where Singh had stated that minorities, particularly the Muslim community, should have priority when it came to accessing national resources.
"It was a premeditated statement," said Malviya, adding, "Manmohan Singh stood by his earlier assertion that Muslims should have the first right to resources."
Malviya pointed out that in Siddaramaiah’s state budget, a new provision had been introduced for Muslims under CATEGORY-II B, which includes a 4% reservation in public works contracts. He clarified that this would apply to government contracts worth up to Rs 1 crore, as well as the procurement of goods and services for various government departments, corporations, and institutions.
The BJP also took to social media, accusing the Chief Minister of engaging in “appeasement at its peak” with provisions designed to benefit the Muslim community disproportionately. Among the measures cited were:
- Reservation for Muslims in government contracts.
- Rs 50,000 assistance for Muslim marriages.
- Rs 150 crore allocated for the development of Waqf properties and graveyards.
- Rs 50 lakh for Muslim cultural programmes.
- New ITI college to be set up in Muslim-dominated areas.
- 50% fee concession for Muslim students under the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA).
- Establishment of a residential PU college for Muslim girls in Ullal town.
- Increased national and foreign scholarships for Muslim students.
- Expansion of Bengaluru’s Haj Bhavan with additional buildings.
- Self-defence training for Muslim girl students.
The BJP contended that the budget's focus on the Muslim community left other marginalised communities, including SCs, STs, and OBCs, with little to no support. The party claimed, “What about SCs, STs, and OBCs? Absolutely nothing!”
Furthermore, the BJP argued that the religion-based reservations in the budget violated the spirit of Dr Ambedkar’s Constitution and exposed the Congress party’s disregard for his principles. “CM Siddaramaiah, in his bogus budget, has provided religion-based reservations for Muslims, which is completely against the ideals of Dr B.R. Ambedkar! The anti-constitutional budget presented by Siddaramaiah has once again exposed how much the Congress party despises Ambedkar,” the BJP statement concluded.
The controversy surrounding the budget has sparked a heated debate across the state, with critics accusing the Congress government of prioritising certain communities at the expense of others.
The political ramifications of the budget, especially with regard to its provisions for religion-based benefits, are likely to play a significant role in Karnataka's upcoming political landscape.