Bengaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced statewide protests against the Karnataka government’s decision to grant a 4% reservation to Muslims in government tenders, calling it unconstitutional and an act of appeasement politics. The party has vowed to oppose the move both inside the legislature and across the state.
BJP Accuses Congress of ‘Muslim Appeasement’
Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka, addressing the media at Vidhana Soudha, criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government, saying, “Muslim appeasement is taking place on a larger scale in the state. Reservation is meant to uplift Dalits. The Constitution does not allow reservations for everyone.”
He further accused the government of diverting constitutional rights meant for Dalits to Muslims purely for electoral benefits. “The Congress-led government has violated the Constitution by providing a 4% reservation for Muslims. There is no provision for religion-based reservation in the Constitution,” Ashoka asserted.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Ashoka stated, “He wears a skull cap, introduced Tipu Jayanti, and allocated ₹10,000 crore for Mullahs in this year’s budget. Now, he is fulfilling all their demands by granting 4% reservation to Muslims. This is unfortunate. We will protest both inside the legislature and across the state.”
BJP Central Leadership Calls It ‘Unconstitutional’
BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra reinforced the party’s stance, declaring that the BJP will strongly oppose any legislative move to implement the Muslim quota in tenders. “The Karnataka government has not only decided to grant 4% reservation for Muslims in government tenders but has also passed it in a Cabinet meeting and is preparing to introduce a Bill in the legislature. The BJP will strongly oppose this Bill,” Vijayendra stated.
Responding to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s challenge that BJP should prove its secularism by making Muslims MLCs and Rajya Sabha members, Vijayendra countered by highlighting BJP’s contributions.
“I want to remind him that it was the BJP that made the late Dr. Abdul Kalam the President. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, Najma Heptulla was appointed as a Governor. Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Arif Mohammad Khan were also given the position of Governor. Ustad Bismillah Khan was conferred the Bharat Ratna, not by the Congress, but during Modi’s tenure,” Vijayendra said.
Political Storm Over Reservation Policy
The 4% reservation for Muslims in government tenders has become a major flashpoint in Karnataka politics, with the BJP branding it as vote-bank politics while the Congress argues that it aims to promote inclusive economic participation.
