Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Mar 19: The Karnataka BJP has strongly opposed the Congress-led government's decision to introduce a 4% reservation for Muslims in government tenders, accusing chief minister Siddaramaiah of running a ‘Tughlaq Darbar’ and bypassing the opposition in the Assembly.

Speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha, BJP state president and MLA B Y Vijayendra alleged that the bill was secretly introduced on Tuesday without proper discussion. "The BJP firmly opposes the Tughlaq-style governance of Siddaramaiah," he declared.

Vijayendra warned that the BJP would challenge the bill both inside and outside the Assembly and, if necessary, take the matter to the high court. He accused the Congress of indulging in appeasement politics rather than focusing on real development. "If the Congress truly cared about minorities, it would have worked to improve their education and livelihood instead of using them as a vote bank," he said.

He also slammed CM Siddaramaiah for portraying the BJP as anti-minority. "BJP is not against Muslims. It was the Narendra Modi-led government that abolished Triple Talaq to ensure justice for Muslim women," he pointed out.

Highlighting welfare initiatives under the Modi government, Vijayendra said schemes like Jan Dhan and Ujjwala Yojana have benefited all communities, unlike Congress, which, according to him, has historically treated minorities as political tools.

Meanwhile, the ruling Congress tabled the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Amendment (KTPP) Bill in the Assembly, justifying the quota as a step to address unemployment. State law minister H K Patil introduced the bill, explaining that reservations now include 17.15% for SCs, 6.95% for STs, 15% for Category 2A, and 4% for Category 2B (Muslims). The eligibility cap for government construction projects has also been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore.