Do religion-based politics not violate Constitution: Sibal tells Shah

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal took a swipe at Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks that religion-based quota violates the Constitution, asking whether religion-based politics violate the Constitution

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday took a swipe at Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks that religion-based quota violates the Constitution, asking whether religion-based politics and propaganda violate the Constitution or not.

Shah on Sunday lauded the Karnataka government's decision of scrapping the four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, saying the quota on religious lines was Constitutionally invalid.

Reacting to his remarks, Sibal tweeted, "Amit Shah: religion-based quota violates the Constitution. What about religion-based 1) politics 2) propaganda 3) speeches 4) agendas 5) programmes. Do they not violate the Constitution?"

Addressing public gatherings at Gorata village in Bidar district and Gabbur in Raichur district, Shah had said, "The BJP abolished the four per cent reservation given to the minorities and gave two per cent to the Vokkaligas and two per cent to the Lingayats."

"The reservation for minorities is not Constitutionally valid. There is no provision in the Constitution to give reservation based on religion. This Congress government did it for its appeasement politics and gave reservation to the minorities," he had said.

Sibal, who was a Union minister during the UPA 1 and 2 regimes, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to Rajya Sabha as an independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support.