Siddaramaiah takes on PM Modi's Muslim quota remark

Siddaramaiah takes on PM Modi's Muslim quota remark
25 Apr 2024

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has launched a counterattack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that the Congress was trying to provide reservation to Muslims at the cost of SCs/backward classes.

Siddaramaiah said that it was the "ignorance" of the PM that he was stating a lie.

He dared PM Modi to prove his allegation or apologize to the country.

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On April 23, the PM alleged that the Congress tried to provide reservation to Muslims in Andhra Pradesh by reducing the reservations for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in 2004. "This was a pilot project which the Congress wanted to try in the entire country," he said, adding that the Congress "does not care about the Constitution."

BJP government eliminated Muslim quota: PM
PM's statement

The PM added that when the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Karnataka had the chance, it eliminated the Muslim quota established by the previous Congress administration from the reservation for SC/STs.

Siddaramaiah hit back in a released statement which was also posted on X.

He said, "It...underscores [PM Modi's] desperation fueled by the fear of defeat."

Siddaramaiah explains backward classes reservation quota

Siddaramaiah added that in Karnataka Muslims are part of 2B in backward classes reservation based on Chinnappa Reddy Commission recommendation.

"The reservation has been...for...three decades. No one...including the BJP...has questioned this in court. The PM seems to have forgotten the rap by the Supreme Court to the Basavaraj Bommai government that tried to tinker with it for dividing votes on communal lines," he added.