The Karnataka government move to raise reservation for minority groups under housing schemes has triggered severe criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party. State party president Vijayendra Yediyurappa has termed it "unconstitutional" and charged the Congress with playing vote-bank politics.
In an X post, Yediyurappa attacked the Congress government for making welfare vote-bank politics and alleged that the new reservation policy denies SCs, STs, and OBCs their due chances.
"Reservation on religious grounds is unconstitutional! @INCKarnataka in Karnataka has reduced welfare to a marketplace for vote-bank politics. First, 4 per cent quota in government orders. Now, 15 per cent quota in housing schemes. Where does this appeasement stop? This is a perilous bid to institutionalise communal vote-bank politics. It not only denies SCs, STs, and OBCs their rightful chances, but also sends a disquieting message that merit, backwardness, and constitutional principles are secondary to religious appeasement," he tweeted.
He requested the Congress to go through the Constitution of India, claiming that reservations are meant for socially and educationally backwards people and not according to religious identity.
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"I request Congress to take up the Constitution they like to wave at public gatherings. If they had read it even once, they would understand that reservations are on the lines of social and educational backwardness, and not distributed according to "who votes for me". Under the cover of welfare, this government is shamelessly thrusting religion-based reservation, attacking the very foundation of Dr BR Ambedkar's Constitution and dragging his vision through the mud of appeasement politics," he further added.
"The Congress government's reckless appeasement will not survive judicial scrutiny, nor escape the judgment of history. Karnataka deserves governance, not divisive experiments with the Constitution," the BJP leader said.
Earlier, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi condemned the move, calling it unconstitutional by referring to the Supreme Court's 'rejection' of religion-based reservation.
Talking to the media, Mr Joshi stated, "This is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court has also rejected religion-based reservation. This cuts down the quota for OBC, ST, and poor individuals from general caste. The Karnataka government is playing politics of appeasement. I denounce this. We will also go to the court against this."
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On Thursday, the Karnataka Cabinet gave its nod for raising the reservation quota for minority groups under several housing schemes from 10 per cent to 15 per cent. Karnataka Minister HK Patil said that this decision does not need any new rules to be formulated.
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