Union Home Minister Amit Shah on April 25 defended the BJP Government’s decision in Karnataka of scrapping 4% quota for Muslims saying the party never believed in ‘religion-based reservation.’
The former BJP chief also took a dig at the Congress for its stand that the quota would be restored if it is voted to power in the State after the May 10 Assembly polls.
“There was a religion-based reservation of 4% for Muslims. Without falling for the vote bank politics, the BJP government abolished the Muslim reservation,” he said addressing a public meeting at Terdal in this district.
“We believe that religion-based reservation should not happen,” Mr. Shah opined.
The Minister added that after abolishing Muslim reservation, the BJP Government increased the reservation for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Vokkaligas and Lingayats.
Referring to the Basavaraj Bommai Government’s decision to increase the SC reservation from 15% to 17%, Mr. Shah noted that the internal reservation of SC (Left) now stands at 6%, SC (Right)- 5.5% and other SCs 5.5%.
Responding to Congress president D.K. Shivakumar who has promised to restore the Muslim reservation if his party comes to power, Mr. Shah sought to know whose quota the party will scrap if it manages to form the government in Karnataka.
“Whose reservation will be decreased if 4% reservation for Muslims is restored? Will it be Vokkaligas or Lingayat, Dalits, Scheduled Tribes or the Other Backward Castes?” the Minister asked.
At the fag end of its term, the BJP Government decided to abolish the 4% reservation for Muslims under 2-B category. The 4% was later split into two and distributed among Vokkaligas in 2-C category and Lingayats in 2-D category.
Vokkaligas and Lingayats are the two major dominant communities of Karnataka.
Mr. Shah’s statement came on a day when the Supreme Court directed that the State Government’s decision of scrapping quota for Muslims will not be implemented till May 9.
‘State will be afflicted with riots if Congress comes to power’
The Home Minister said if the Congress comes to power in Karnataka, dynastic politics will be at an all-time high in the State and it will be ‘afflicted with riots’. The former BJP chief also said the development of the State will be in “reverse gear” if the Congress forms the government.
Seeking the people’s mandate for “political stability” in Karnataka, which would vote on May 10, Mr. Shah said at a public meeting at Terdal in this district that only the BJP can lead the state towards a ‘New Karnataka.’
“If the Congress comes to power by mistake then corruption will be all-time high and there will be ‘appeasement’,” said Mr. Shah, who is on a two-day tour of Karnataka to hold a series of public meetings, roadshows and review meetings with his party leaders.
