BJP to Legally Contest Karnataka’s 4% Muslim Quota, Claims Threat to National Unity
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Synopsis
The BJP vehemently opposes the Karnataka government's decision to implement a 4% reservation for Muslims in tenders, deeming it unconstitutional and a threat to national unity. The party plans to challenge this decision in court and engage the public against this initiative.
Key Takeaways
- BJP condemns 4% Muslim reservation in Karnataka.
- Legal challenge against the decision is imminent.
- Concerns raised about national unity and integrity.
- Historical context regarding reservations based on religion.
- Call for accountability from Congress party leadership.
Bengaluru, March 17 (NationPress) The BJP has vehemently criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government for its decision to implement a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government tenders, asserting that this action could lead to the balkanization of India. The party has announced its intention to legally contest this decision.
During a press conference in New Delhi, Tejasvi Surya, the BJP National Yuva Morcha President and Bengaluru South MP, stated on Monday that this clearly unconstitutional and prima facie illegal quota for Muslims will be challenged in court.
“The BJP will oppose this initiative both inside and outside the Assembly. We will raise our voices in Parliament and organize protests outside of it. Our fight will extend to the courts, and we will engage the people of Karnataka. Until this unconstitutional decision is reversed, our struggle will persist,” declared Surya.
He highlighted, “Courts across the nation, including the High Courts and the Supreme Court, have consistently ruled that granting reservations based solely on religion is unconstitutional and not permissible.
In 2004, a similar proposal for 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh was struck down by the Andhra High Court.
This situation remains unresolved with the Supreme Court currently handling it through a Constitutional bench.
Another attempt by the West Bengal government was also nullified by the West Bengal High Court, and this matter is pending in the Supreme Court.”
Surya remarked, “This action is not only illegal and unconstitutional; it threatens to balkanize India, posing a serious risk to national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.”
He accused the Siddaramaiah government of knowingly engaging in this unconstitutional act to appeal to its electoral base, allegedly under the guidance of the Congress party’s leadership, particularly Rahul Gandhi.
Prior to the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi traversed the country espousing the notion that minorities possess an exclusive first claim over the nation’s resources, a sentiment echoed in the Karnataka budget. Surya pointed out that Gandhi’s statement, ‘jitna abadi, utna hak,’ reflects this ideology.
He stressed, “The questions we want to pose to Siddaramaiah are these: You profess to uphold secularism. Is this the version of secularism that Baba Saheb Ambedkar envisioned for our nation? Where the benefits intended for SC-STs are diverted to minority Muslims? You claim to champion Ambedkar and the welfare of backward classes. However, during the Constitution's formation, Baba Saheb vehemently opposed the idea of reservations based on religion.”
He quoted, “In 1949, Ambedkar stated in the House that reservations based on religion are a fatal dose for the nation. Dividing the country along religious lines undermines our integrity and unity. Reservations should protect the interests of communities historically subjected to discrimination and social injustice. Religion must not serve as a criterion for backward classes.”
He questioned, “If separate electorates and communal representation based on religious identity were so crucial, why weren't they demanded during the Morley-Minto Reforms?”
“We express our disappointment, anger, and frustration over the Karnataka government’s proposal to allocate 4 per cent reservation to Muslims in government tenders. The Siddaramaiah administration proposed this amendment to the KTPP Act in last week’s budget,” Surya remarked.
This initiative is not only overtly unconstitutional but also a concept that the framers of the Constitution rejected outright during its formation. Quoting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, this concept risks balkanizing India,” the BJP leader criticized.
The BJP staunchly opposes this unconstitutional proposal and implores the Siddaramaiah government to retract this misguided initiative, Surya urged.
This is not the first instance of the Congress party engaging in such politically motivated acts. From the era of Pandit Nehru, the Congress has made attempts to placate the Muslim minority at the expense of SC-STs and OBCs.
Surya noted that Baba Saheb Ambedkar opposed Nehru’s politics of appeasement both inside and outside Parliament.
In Parliament, Ambedkar expressed that the Prime Minister (Nehru) focuses solely on Muslims, neglecting SCs and STs. This trend continues today, with Congress leadership prioritizing the interests of Muslim minorities over other groups, he concluded.
