Siddaramaiah govt considers 4% Muslim quota in Karnataka public works tenders, BJP calls it 'gross contempt of Constitution'

The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, is considering a proposal to bring 4 per cent quota for Muslims in public contracts for construction (civil) works. The state government is likely to table a bill for the same in the winter session of the Assembly, News18 reported citing sources. 

As per this proposal, Muslims belonging to category 2B will be given 4 per cent reservation in contracts. "Not just Muslims, other backward classes will be given reservation," the sources clarified.

With this, the Karnataka government is likely to have 47 per cent overall reservation in government contracts and the ceiling will be hiked to Rs 2 crore. 

Meanwhile, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X to condemn the Congress for its "gross contempt of the Constitution". 

"Siddaramaiah administration in Karnataka is evaluating a proposal to provide reservations to Muslims in public contracts for construction (civil) works. If Muslims are given this quota in Karnataka then whose share will be cut - SC, ST or OBCs? In Telangana too, Muslims have been given 4 per cent reservations, eating into the share meant for the socially backward communities," Malviya wrote in a post.

He further decried the grand old party for accepting the demands of the All India Ulema Board in Maharashtra, while adding it is all about Muslim vote for the Congress.

"In Maharashtra, Congress-led MVA has accepted Jinnah-like demand of the All India Ulema Board. It is all about Muslim votes for the Congress, in gross contempt of the Constitution, which precludes any religion-based reservation."

This, however, is not the first attempt by the Siddaramaiah government to lure the Muslim community in the state this year. 

In April this year, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) confirmed that all castes and communities of Muslims of Karnataka have been included in the list of other backward classes for granting reservation in employment and educational institutions under the Karnataka government. 

The NCBC said that under category II-B, all Muslims of Karnataka state have been considered as OBC.

The NCBC further mentioned that even the backward and Dalit communities are protesting against the social discrimination of lower-caste Muslims by their upper-class counterparts like Sheikhs, Syeds and Pathans. 

At present, 36 Muslim communities listed in the categories 1 and 2A are included in the central OBC list, which is subject to the non-inclusion in the creamy layer based on an annual income threshold of Rs 8 lakh.