Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of pursuing 'appeasement politics' after it considered a proposal to introduce a 4% reservation for Muslims in civil contracts. The existing policies include quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Communities (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
To enable this, the government plans to amend the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act (KTPP), 1999. The proposal, drafted by the finance department and backed by law minister H K Patil, is set to be discussed in the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, March 5, with possible introduction in the Budget session.
The BJP also accused the party of violating the spirit of the Constitution of India.
Karnataka BJP President Accuses Congress of 'Political Appeasement'
Criticising the move, Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra accused the Congress of driving the state toward division and instability. Taking to X on March 5, he wrote, "The Congress government sees only Muslims as minorities, and no other real minority communities are visible. Now, the move to frame a rule to provide 4% reservation in government jobs is the height of Muslim appeasement."
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Vijayendra further criticised the ruling state government, accusing it of creating division and unrest by proposing a 4% reservation for Muslims in civil contracts. He questioned the logic of offering reservations when tenders were not even being called, and accused Congress of ignoring other marginalized communities like Madivala and Savita.
Calls for Inclusive Policies
Vijayendra argued that reservations based on religion violate constitutional principles set by Dr. BR Ambedkar. He added that BJP would support reservations if extended to all minority communities.
The Congress government had earlier amended the KTTP Act to provide 24.01% reservation for oppressed communities in tenders up to Rs 1 crore. The fresh Muslim quota proposal, initially dropped after controversy, resurfaced after Muslim leaders submitted a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah.
