K'taka Cong promises to scrap quotas announced by BJP

Bengaluru, March 28 (IANS) Karnataka Congress on Tuesday pledged to scrap various reservation quotas announced by the ruling BJP in the state immediately after it comes to power.

Talking to media persons, State President D.K. Shivakumar stated that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah has given his stamp on the reservations done by the BJP government in Karnataka. But, the people have rejected it and after 40 days, the Congress is going to form the government and scrap the new reservations.

The reservations, he said, are against the law, constitution and the interests of the communities. "We will protect the interests of minorities, Vokkaligas, Lingayats and OBC's. It is a foolish thing done by the BJP government," Shivakumar maintained.

The matter of reservation has not only created confusion in the state, but throughout the country. The Supreme Court has given verdicts against such attempts by the other states. In spite of this, two ministers have come together to cheat people and take a call on increasing the quota of reservation, he said.

Shivakumar further questioned the basis on which the government has announced an increase in reservations. Has the Commission for Backward Classes recommended an increase in reservations in its interim report submitted in December, 2022? Is it possible to increase reservation on the basis of an interim report?

For reservations and internal reservations, they have to be based on proper study and research and amendments have to be made in the constitution. They will not be feasible if it is done as an election gimmick, Shivakumar stated.

He further questioned BJP that, has any Vokkaliga or Lingayat swamiji asked them to withdraw quota of reservation and give it to them? Has the opposition party demanded it? Vokkaligas and Lingayats had demanded an increase in the reservations to 12 per cent and 15 per cent respectively based on their population. They did not place a demand to withdraw reservation of Muslims, Shivakumar reiterated.

The reservation has gone up to 56 per cent and let the BJP government give reservations for both the communities by extending the limit. The Congress firmly stands with minorities and we want Muslim reservations to be intact, he maintained.

In a bid to win the confidence of major communities of the state, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has made a major announcement that his government has increased the quota of reservation for Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities.

At the same time, the ruling BJP government has canceled the 4 per cent quota for Muslims under OBC category. "The religious minorities do not have reservation in seven states. The decision has been taken to allot reservation for Muslim under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota," CM Bommai said.

CM Bommai had stated that it was a major decision after independence. So far, though committees were formed and recommendations received, they were never implemented. "We have taken a decision to hike the quota of SC/ST reservation as well," he maintained.

"We have referred to documents of the British era, king's rule and sent recommendations to the central government. ST community has been given reservation as per the population. The community was divided into four categories as per the Article 342 of the constitution. The reservation for the Group 1 Adi Jambava is fixed 6 per cent, Group 2 Adi Jambava 5.5 per cent, 4.5 per cent for Group 3 Banjara, Bhovi and Koracha, 1 per cent for those communities in Group 1," CM Bommai stated.

The announcement has led to a war of words between the ruling BJP and Congress party. BJP is hoping to polarize Hindu votes through the recent announcement of reservations by withdrawing 4 per cent reservations for Muslims. The BJP has also fixed internal reservation for oppressed classes, in a bid to win their confidence.