Bengaluru, April 7 Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said on Monday that granting a 4 per cent Muslim quota in government tenders was a conscious decision by the Congress government.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara, while answering a question, said, “Steps such as providing a 4 per cent Muslim quota in government tenders and utilising SCP-TSP funds for guarantee schemes have been taken consciously by the government and the party. Anyone who has been left behind in society should be brought into the mainstream. Governments have introduced policies and programmes during their tenures to ensure this.”
Parameshwara further stated that Muslims make up 16 to 18 per cent of Karnataka’s population and questioned whether this significant minority should continue to remain backward. “Whether they are Christians, Jains, or Muslims -- these minority communities must also be brought into the mainstream along with us,” he added.
He emphasized that the need for reservation is a larger question. “When reservations were introduced for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the same question was raised. Whoever has remained in a state of backwardness for thousands of years must be brought into the mainstream, and this is exactly what the Constitution mandates,” Parameshwara said.
Commenting on the guarantee schemes, he stated, “In our state, the successful implementation of guarantees is being studied by other states. If our model had failed, why would they be looking at us? Even BJP-ruled states are implementing our programmes. This clearly means they have been successful.”
When asked about criticism being faced by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over the guarantee issues, Parameshwara said conditions vary from state to state. “If there are any shortcomings, the party high command will address them and offer necessary guidance,” he noted.
Responding to the BJP's launch of the Janakrosh Yatra, Parameshwara remarked, “The BJP is unable to tolerate the good governance being delivered by the Congress-led government in the state. They assumed we would not be able to implement the guarantees promised during the election campaign. But we did -- and that has created a sense of public confidence.”
“Our policies and programmes are being implemented, and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s budget has received public appreciation as a balanced and inclusive one. Seeing all this, the BJP feels compelled to do something; otherwise, they fear becoming irrelevant,” he said.
Commenting further on the Yatra, he questioned its premise: “To take up a Janakrosh Yatra, there should be akrosh (public anger). But where is that anger? BJP leaders and workers are displaying their own frustration. If there truly was anger among the people, it would be evident. But that situation simply does not exist,” he maintained.
BJP is launching Janakrosh Yatra on Monday from CM Siddaramaiah’s native Mysuru. Union Minister Pralhad Joshi is launching the statewide agitation.
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