BAGALKOTE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday defended the BJP government’s decision in Karnataka of scrapping 4 percent quota for Muslims saying the party never believed in ‘religion-based reservation.’
The BJP chief also took a slam at Congress for its stand that the quota would be restored if it is voted to power in the state after the May 10 Assembly election.
Addressing a public meeting at Terdal in this district, he said, “There was a religion-based reservation of 4 percent for Muslims. Without falling for the vote bank politics, the BJP government abolished the Muslim reservation,” “We believe that religion-based reservation should not take place,” Amity Shah said. He went on to say that after abolishing Muslim reservation, the BJP government increased the reservation for the SC, Vokkaligas and Lingayats.
Referring to the Karnataka BJP government’s decision to increase the SC reservation from 15 percent to 17 percent , the union minister noted that the internal reservation of SC (Left) now stands at 6 percent , SC (Right)- 5.5 percent and other SCs 5.5 percent .
Shah responded to Congress president D K Shivakumar, who has pledged to reinstate the Muslim reservation if his party forms the government in Karnataka, by asking whose quota the party will eliminate. If the 4 percent allocation for Muslims is reinstated, whose reservation will be reduced? The Minister questioned, "Will it be Vokkaligas or Lingayat, Dalits, Scheduled Tribes or the Other Backward Castes?
The BJP government chose to eliminate the 4 percent reservation for Muslims under 2-B category near the conclusion of its term. Later, the 4 percent was divided in half and given to Vokkaligas in the 2-C category and Lingayats in the 2-D category.
Karnataka's two main dominant communities are the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats. Shah made his statement on a day when the Supreme Court ordered the state government's decision to eliminate the Muslim quota to not take effect until May 9.
On April 25, the Home Minister claimed that if the Congress were to win the state of Karnataka, dynastic politics there would reach an all-time high and the state would be "afflicted with riots." The state's progress, according to the former BJP leader, will be in "reverse gear" if the Congress forms the administration.
At a public forum in this district's Terdal, Shah said that only the BJP can guide the state towards a "New Karnataka," asking the people of Karnataka for their support for "political stability" before the state goes to the polls on May 10.
Shah, who is on a two-day visit of Karnataka to host a series of public meetings, roadshows, and review sessions with senior party officials, warned that if the Congress wins the election by accident, corruption will be at an all-time high and there would be "appeasement".
Karnataka Elections 2023: Amit Shah, Nadda to hold road shows today
BJP to release first list of candidates today ahead of K’tka polls
