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By Nagarjun Dwarakanath: Ahead of the crucial Karnataka Assembly elections, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led government has made some notable changes to the state’s reservation quota, removing the 4 per cent allocation for Muslims.
In a cabinet meeting, held earlier on Friday, the Karnataka government increased the reservation quota from 50 per cent to 56 per cent.
The government has also decided to scrap 4 per cent OBC reservation for Muslims. They will now be moved to 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category. With the latest rejig, the Muslims will now have to compete with EWS quota, which has Brahmins, Vysyas, Mudaliyars, Jains and others.
Speaking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, CM Bommai said that the religious minorities quota would be done away with and brought under the 10 percent pool of the EWS group without any change of condition.
The EWS quota given by the central government is 10 per cent.
The government has also decided that the 4 per cent quota of Muslims will now be given to Vokkaligas (2 per cent) and Lingayats (2 per cent) for whom two new reservation categories of 2C and 2D were created during the Belagavi Assembly Session last year.
Additionally, the Karnataka government has hiked reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 15 to 17 per cent and Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 3 to 7 per cent.
“The four per cent (reservation for minorities) will be divided into two between 2C and 2D. The four per cent reservation for the Vokkaligas and others will enhance to six per cent and Veerashaiva Panchamasali and others (Lingayats), who were getting five per cent reservation will now get seven per cent,” the chief minister said.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday slammed the BJP-led Karnataka government for abolishing the 4 percent reservation for Muslims in the state.
He termed the decision as part of PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Muslim outreach’ program.
“Karnataka BJP govt removes reservation for poor Muslims in education & jobs This is @narendramodi’s “Muslim outreach” & love for Pasmanda Muslims. Whether it’s hijab or reservations, the target is Muslims’ progress in education & employment,” he tweeted.
The Karnataka government on Friday announced its decision to scrap the four percent quota for minorities and added it to the existing quota of two dominant communities of the poll-bound state.
The 4 per cent reservation given to Muslims under 2B classification of the OBC category will now be divided into two equal parts and added to the existing quota of Vokkaligas and Lingayats for whom two new reservation categories of 2C and 2D were created during the Belagavi Assembly Session last year.
The cabinet decided to bring the religious minorities under the EWS category.
The decision comes ahead of the Assembly elections.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting on Friday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the religious minorities quota would be done away with and brought under the 10 percent pool of the EWS category without any change of condition.
“The four percent (reservation for minorities) will be divided into two between 2C and 2D. The four percent reservation for the Vokkaligas and others will be enhanced to six percent and Veerashaiva Panchamasali and others (Lingayats), who are getting five percent reservation will now get seven percent,” the CM explained.
