Will review internal SC quota implemented during BJP rule: K’taka Home Minister

Bengaluru, Jan 18 Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress government in Karnataka is gearing up to review the internal reservations granted to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community by the previous BJP government, and a decision is likely to be taken in the cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters here, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara said, "We will review the internal reservation provided to the people belonging to the SC category. This is because the BJP government did not provide internal reservation as per the provisions of the law."

"We have decided to reconsider the internal reservation given to various communities falling under the SC category. During the previous tenure of the Congress government, we had planned to implement the Sadashiva Commission (Justice A. J. Sadashiva Inquiry Commission) report. However, the BJP government, led by Basavaraj Bommai, later rejected the Sadashiva Commission report," Parameshwara said.

"When internal reservation is implemented, it must adhere to the law. We can't amend the Constitution. Today, in the cabinet meeting, we will discuss sending a proposal for an amendment to the Constitution," the Minister said.

In March 2023, the then ruling BJP government in Karnataka decided to introduce internal reservations among 101 Scheduled Castes, just before the Assembly elections. Under the new reservation formula, the Scheduled Caste (left) was granted 6 per cent reservation, SC (right) 5.5 per cent, SC (Touchable) 4.5 per cent, and SC (Others) 1 per cent. However, the BJP failed to garner voter support and suffered defeat in the Assembly elections.

Justice A.J. Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes (SCs), had recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.

As a suitable law has to be brought in by Parliament to incorporate the recommendation, the commission has asked the state to take up the matter with the Union government.

Justice Sadashiva had said that the commission had recommended reclassification of all Scheduled Castes into four groups of Right Community, Left Community, Touchables and Other Scheduled Castes communities for equitable distribution of the overall reservation of 15 per cent that is being given to Scheduled Castes.

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