Karnataka CM accuses Congress of indulging in politics over reservation issue

PTI, Mar 27, 2023, 7:02 PM IST

Chikkaballapura: Hitting out at Congress leaders’ announcement that the party would undo the BJP government’s reservation decisions in the event of it coming to power, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday accused it of inciting and trying to create disturbance between the communities.

The Congress was playing politics on the issue, he alleged, as he claimed that the party was indulging in such things and are making such statements, since they are unable to digest that BJP has been able to make a decision on the issue, that was considered impossible, and as they are fully aware of them not coming to power.

The BJP government last week decided to move Muslims out of the OBC list and put them under the 10 per cent EWS quota. The 4 per cent reservation that Muslims had (under OBC list) will be distributed among Vokkaligas and Lingayats equally.

”D K Shivakumar (State Congress president) lacks interest in social thinking, all these demands (reservation related) have been for 30-40 years, they (Congress) could have done it, but they did not do it, but we now, considering the demand by communities, have taken certain steps,” Bommai said.

Speaking to reporters here, he clarified that ensuring these communities (Vokkaligas and Lingayats) get education and employment in the days to come, is the only intention behind the government’s move and nothing else. ”But developments such as playing politics on such issues, making politically motivated statements, holding meetings and indulging in acts of inciting communities are going on, aimed at creating disturbance among the communities. Congress is behind it, because they have no intention of fulfilling the demand of communities, other than getting votes,” he said.

Shivakumar had said that soon after coming to power, the Congress government will cancel everything that the BJP government has done, and will provide justice to all communities, accusing it of ”snatching” reservation from Muslims and not doing justice to the demand of dominant communities- Vokkaligas and Lingayats.

Claiming that BJP through its decisions on reservation issues has been able to do something considered impossible, the Chief Minister said Congress is unable to digest it.

The Congress has claimed that they will undo the BJP government’s decisions on coming to power, Bommai said. ”That question won’t arise at all as there is no question of them coming to power in Karnataka. They (Congress) are also aware (about not coming to power) and just for the sake of pleasing a community they have made certain statements.”

Let Congress say they are against the communities to whom justice has been made by the government’s decision, he said, adding that ”let them say that they are against social justice and people will decide.”

To Congress leader Siddaramaiah’s statement, accusing the CM of doing injustice to Muslims, Bommai accused the Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly of indulging in politics. ”How can he say it….we have put Muslims from 4 per cent reservation matrix to 10 per cent now, with the same criteria of economic weakness that existed so far, how injustice has been done? Both Ambedkar and the seven judge bench in Andhra Pradesh had said reservation cannot be on religious basis….” he added.