Bengaluru, March 5 The Congress-led Karnataka government is once again mulling introducing a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in civil contracts on lines with the reservation provided to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Communities and Backward Classes.
Slamming the state government, the BJP said on Wednesday in Bengaluru that the move was against the spirit of the Constitution and nothing but the "peak of appeasement politics".
State BJP President B. Y. Vijayendra claimed that the Congress was leading the state towards strife.
CM Siddaramaiah-led government is all set to bring an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act 1999. The Finance Department has already prepared the blueprint and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H. K. Patil has also agreed to the amendment, the sources said.
The government is likely to take up the matter in the cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening and plan to introduce the bill in the Budget session if it is agreed.
Vijayendra said the Congress government in the state has not released any funds for legislators.
However, when no tender is called and work is allotted, what's the use of reservation? he said.
Hitting out at the Congress, Vijayendra said: "Does the grand old party think that only Muslims constitute the minority group?"
"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 underlined.
"I urge CM Siddaramaiah, if he is real Ahinda (a Kannada acronym for Alpasankhyataru or minorities, Hindulidavaru or backward classes, and Dalitaru or Dalits) leader, he should have enabled marginalised communities and strengthened them economically," the BJP leader said.
"Madivala, Savita and many communities also exist and need support from the state. CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is not bringing these communities to the mainstream. Instead, the Congress government is all set for Muslim appeasement, the people will have to teach a lesson," he stated.
He said the Congress government sees only Muslims as minorities, "ignoring" other genuinely marginalised minority communities.
"Muslims alone have been granted reservations in education and employment based on religion, which goes against the constitutional spirit. Now, the government is planning to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims even in government contracts, which is the peak of appeasement politics," Vijayendra charged.
"If it was for all minority communities, we have no objections," he said.
He demanded that the government schemes be implemented transparently, and reservations should be provided to oppressed communities, as per the Constitution principles drafted by B. R. Ambedkar.
"However, offering reservations based on religion undermines transparency," he said.
Claiming that traditional occupational communities that are extremely backward are struggling for survival in the face of modern technological advancements, he said that the Siddaramaiah government has "failed" to introduce any special programmes, schemes, or reservations for them.
Earlier, the Congress government amended the KTTP Act and provided 24.01 per cent reservation for oppressed communities in government tenders up to Rs 50 lakh. It was yet again amended in March 2023 and the limit was extended to contracts up to Rs 1 crore.
The delegation of Muslim legislators and community leaders had earlier submitted a memorandum to CM Siddaramaiah demanding reservation in government contracts for their community. The government mulled over it but backtracked when the matter created controversy.
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