‘Four Per Cent Quota Not Only For Muslims’: Karnataka Deputy CM D K Shivakumar Defends Congress Government’s Move After BJP Criticism

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has said that the 4 per cent reservation for contractors in Karnataka government tenders is meant for all minority communities, not just Muslims.

His statement followed BJP's criticism, which accused the Congress government of indulging in appeasement politics over the state cabinet's nod to amending the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act.

Shivakumar clarified that the reservation is not limited to a single community but applies to all minorities. "Who said that 4 per cent reservation is only for Muslims? The government has decided to provide it to minorities and backward communities. Minorities include Christians, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs, among others," he told reporters on Saturday (15 March) evening, India Today reported.

He added that the state government had also made amendment to provide contract reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

The Karnataka government's recent move to approve a 4 per cent reservation in government tenders through amendments to the KTPP Act has sparked political controversy, with the BJP accusing the Congress of engaging in "appeasement politics."

Shivakumar addressed concerns by stating that the reservation applies only to projects valued below Rs 2 crore, and larger contracts remain unaffected.

"We are not taking away anyone's rights; we are ensuring livelihoods for others too," Shivakumar further clarified.

The Siddaramaiah Cabinet reportedly approved amendments to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, paving the way for a 4 per cent reservation for Muslim contractors for tenders of up to Rs 2 crore, sparking outrage.

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a press conference earlier in the day, strongly opposed the state government's move.

"The BJP is against this, and we will keep opposing it... Religion-based reservation is not permissible under the Indian Constitution... Reservation on government contracts is completely unconstitutional. It can be allowed on the basis of social backwardness, but it is not permissible (to provide) directly to a religious community," he asserted.

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya also criticised the state government's decision, calling it an attempt to incentivise "religious conversion."

In a post on X, he wrote, "This govt is misusing power, public resources for vote-bank politics and turning our economy into a playground for political opportunism".

Also Read: Hafiz Saeed's Close Aide Abu Qatal, Mastermind Of 2023 Rajouri Attack, Killed In Pakistan: Report