Congress gave Muslims quota via backdoor in Karnataka: Modi

BHOPAL: PM Modi Thursday accused Congress of including Muslims as a whole in OBC list in Karnataka “through backdoor” and promoting reservation on religious lines, in violation of Constitution.

He said when the Constitution was drafted, it was decided there wouldn’t be religionbased reservation. Congress’s decision to declare all Muslims in Karnataka as “backward”, on a par with OBCs, was inimical to the interests of backward classes, PM said at a poll rally in MP’s Morena.

“Babasaheb Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, was against reservation on religious lines, but Congress… stabbed him in the back. Reservation to Muslims was unlawful,” Modi said.

Countering him, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah wrote on X, “It’s true that in Karnataka, Muslims are included in 2B category for backward classes. This is not something done now. This reservation has been in place for 30 years and on basis of reports of Backward Classes Commissions.”

Cong wants to apply K’taka model to entire country: PM

Neither the BJP govt previously in power in the state, nor the Modi-led Union govt that has been in power for the past 10 years has questioned this reservation. Moreover, no one, including BJP, has challenged it in court,” Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah wrote on X.
He was reacting to a comment of PM Modi on Muslim reservation in Karnataka. “Overnight, all Muslims, regardless of wealth or social status, were turned into OBCs by the signing of a piece of paper. OBCs quota rights were snatched clandestinely and illegally and given to Muslims. This was against the principles of Babasaheb,” PM said in MP’s Morena.

“Congress wants to implement the Karnataka model in the entire country. Congress hatched a conspiracy against Scheduled Castes, tribals and backward classes. On Dec 19, 2011, during the Congress-led UPA regime, the Union govt brought a note in the cabinet meeting to cut into the 27% OBC quota and make place for religion-based quota. Two days later, govt issued an order which was later quashed by Andhra Pradesh HC. Congress went to Supreme Court but got no relief,” he said.
“The Congress manifesto of 2014 talked about religionbased reservation in jobs and education and it is influenced by the Muslim League. They said they will make a law for this, if needed. OBCs, Dalits and tribals woke up. They realised their later generations would be ruined, so they voted Congress out and turned its ploys to dust. Still, they didn’t learn and are trying out new ploys. If Congress wins, it will snatch reservation rights of OBCs and hand it over to its favourite votebank,” he further said.