The BJP government in Karnataka has increased the reservation offered to the Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities but scrapped a separate quota for Muslims just months before high-stakes assembly polls are due.
On March 26, the decision was announced, and Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that the previous government, which was run by Congress, had granted the Muslim minority a reservation in exchange for political benefits. Shah said that there was no provision in the Constitution to grant a reservation based on religion and that the reserve for minorities was therefore invalid under the Constitution.
The OBC quota's 4% allocation for Muslims was eliminated, and the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities received an equal share instead.
Two of the most influential communities in Karnataka are the Ingayats and the Vokkaligas, whose support is crucial among a wide range of seats. The Congress and the Janata Dal are posing a challenge to the ruling BJP, which is attempting to hold onto power (Secular). The 4% reservation for Muslims in the state was set by the HD Deve Gowda-led state government in 1994, and an order to that effect was passed in 1995.
After a resolution by the Cabinet on March 26, the reserve for Vokkaligas increased to 6% and for Lingayats to 7%. Brahmins, Jains, Aryavaishyas, Nagarthas, and Modaliars, who make up about 4% of the state's population, currently make up the EWS category. This category will now include the Muslim community, which makes up roughly 13% of the state's population.
To qualify for the reservation, a family must have a combined yearly income of less than Rs. 8 lakh, agricultural property that is less than five acres in size, and a home that is less than 1,000 square feet.
Muslim community leaders have stated they will disagree with the government's choice. DK Shivakumar, the state congress president, referred to it as "the right of minorities." The 4% reservation, he continued, should not be taken away from minorities and given to any of the important communities. The state assembly's opposition leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah also blasted the BJP government, accusing it of betraying everyone by causing confusion over the reservation issue.
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