Karnataka minister defends 4% minority quota amid BJP's 'appeasement' jibe

Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Monday defended the state government’s 4 per cent reservation for minorities in government contracts, mentioning that the benefit will apply to all minority communities. His response came amid backlash from the Opposition BJP, which accused the Congress government of engaging in Muslim appeasement politics over this decision.

 

“BJP always does nonsense things... There is a reservation for SC/ST. Now, we have given reservations to minorities. There are five to six minority communities... All will come under this reservation, not just one community,” Reddy said while addressing the media.

 

BJP accuses Congress of Muslim appeasement 

 

Unhappy with the decision, the state BJP has been criticising the state government, what they termed as the “politics of Muslim appeasement”. BJP also vowed to oppose the move by calling it “illegal”. BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra questioned the legality of the decision and asked about the provision of providing 4 per cent reservation in government contracts. 

“BJP is not against Muslims, but we are against Congress’s Muslim appeasement politics... Yesterday, I was watching Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. He challenged the BJP to give plump posts to the Muslim community. He had challenged the BJP to give MLC and Rajya Sabha MPs to the Muslim community. I want to remind him that it is the BJP who appointed Abdul Kalam as the President and Najma Heptulla, Justice S Abdul Nazeer and Mohammad Arif Khan as the governors of states,” said B Y Vijayendra.  

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka also criticised the government, saying it is dividing society based on religion. “Although Babasaheb Ambedkar himself had said that providing religious-based reservation is completely against the intentions of the Constitution, the fact that the Congress government led by CM Siddaramaiah is providing 4 per cent reservation to Muslims in contract works. This is evidence of the party’s anti-constitutional mindset. Just as Nehru and Jinnah divided India for selfish reasons, today the traitorous CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar in Karnataka are out to divide society on the basis of religion,” Ashoka wrote in a post on social media platform X.

 

What is the new quota? 

The Karnataka cabinet has approved changes to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act to include the 4 per cent reservation for minorities. This 4 per cent reservation is in addition to the one already given by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to contractors from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. 

The decision was made on March 14 in a meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhan Sabha. Officials said the amendment will be presented in the ongoing assembly session. 

Currently, SC and ST contractors receive a 24 per cent reservation for government projects under Rs 2 crore and for purchasing goods and services below Rs 1 crore from government departments. Communities in Category-1 have a 4 per cent quota, while those in Category-2B get 15 per cent. 

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also clarified that the new reservation is not just for Muslims but for all minority communities and backward classes. “Four per cent reservation is not just for Muslims but all minority communities and backward classes,” he said.

 

[With inputs from ANI]