Ended Muslim quota as it was unconstitutional: Amit Shah

The Karnataka authorities scrapped the 4% reservation given to Muslims because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does now no longer consider in appeasement politics, Union minister Amit Shah stated on Sunday, describing the quota as constitutionally invalid. On Friday, Karnataka hiked the reservation given to the Lingayat, Vokkaliga groups however scrapped a separate quota for Muslims in a politically huge pass simply months earlier than excessive-stakes meeting elections are due.

Shah stated the preceding authorities led via way of means of Congress gave the reservation for the Muslim network for political gains. “The reservation for minorities isn’t always Constitutionally valid. There isn’t anyt any provision withinside the Constitution to present reservation primarily based totally on faith,” he stated, whilst addressing rallies — in Gorata village in Bidar district and Gabbur in Raichur district. In Friday`s choice, the 4% reservation for Muslims beneathneath the OBC quota turned into scrapped and dispensed similarly many of the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat groups.

Lingayats, who make up 17% of the nation, and Vokkaligas, who incorporate 15%, are of Karnataka`s maximum effective groups and their backing is essential throughout a big swathe of constituencies. The ruling BJP is seeking to hold energy via way of means of staving off a venture from the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular).

“The BJP does now no longer consider in appeasement. So, it determined to extrade the reservation,” Shah stated. The nation authorities led via way of means of HD Deve Gowda, in 1994, constant the reservation for Muslims withinside the nation at 4%, and an order to this impact turned into handed in 1995.

The nation has 4 classes of different backward classes — 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B primarily based totally on economic, social and academic status. These groups get preferential reservations in jobs and academic establishments primarily based totally at the classes. The 2A class consists of the maximum backward, accompanied via way of means of 2B, 3A and 3B.

With Friday`s Cabinet decisions, the reservation for Vokkaligas rose from 4% to 6%, and for Lingayats from 5% to 7%. The EWS class presently contains Brahmins, Jains, Aryavaishyas, Nagarthas and Modaliars, which represent round 4% of the nation`s population. Now the Muslim network, which constitutes round 13% of the nation`s population, could be brought to this group.

However, most effective the ones folks who are from households with a complete annual earnings of much less than ₹eight lakh, have agricultural land much less than 5 acres in area, and a residence of much less than 1,000 sq ft, could be eligible for the reservation.

Addressing a public collecting after inaugurating the Gorata Martyrs` Memorial and a statue of the country`s first domestic minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Gorata village, Shah additionally accused the Congress of now no longer remembering people who fought and sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Hyderabad from the “brutal” rule of the Nizam. Shah additionally hoisted a 103ft-excessive Tricolour at Gorata, that’s referred to as the “Jallianwala Bagh of South India”.

“More than 2 hundred humans had been massacred right here in Gorata via way of means of the brutal Nizam, however because of its appeasement policy, the Congress by no means remembered people who fought and sacrificed their lives for Hyderabad liberation most effective for its greed for vote bank,” he brought.

Paying his obeisance to Sardar Patel, he stated had there now no longer been Patel, Hyderabad might now no longer were liberated. Noting that the BJP by no means believed in “appeasement”, Shah stated that the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP authorities had renamed the erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka place Kalyana Karnataka.

“Because Hyderabad Nizam dominated the place, it turned into referred to as Hyderabad-Karnataka place. It is the Congress which allowed the symbols of India`s slavery to retain right here, however Yediyurappa renamed it as Kalyana Karnataka,” he stated. The Congress hit back, announcing that it’d repair the reservation for Muslims if it’s miles voted to energy.

Terming the Karnataka authorities`s choice to transport Muslims into the 10% EWS pool “unconstitutional”, nation Congress president DK Shivakumar stated “it`s the proper of minorities”. “They (the authorities) assume that reservation may be dispensed like a property. It`s now no longer a property. It`s a proper of minorities,” he stated.

“We don`t need their 4% to be scrapped and given to any of the main groups. They (participants of the minority network) are our brothers and own circle of relatives participants. Entire Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats are rejecting this offer,” Shivakumar stated. “We will scrap all this,” he stated.

Former leader minister and chief of competition withinside the nation meeting, Siddaramaiah, additionally lashed out on the BJP authorities, announcing it has betrayed everybody via way of means of developing confusion at the reservation issue.

“The motive of the Constitution via way of means of Ambedkar is to offer identical safety with out discrimination on the premise of caste, faith or gender. This is what Article 14 of the Constitution says. Article 15 and sixteen offer for reservation in schooling and employment. Its goal is to present unique privileges to people who are disadvantaged of possibilities and convey them into the mainstream. It is most effective whilst the socially and educationally backward are added into the mainstream that we are able to pass closer to the established order of an identical society. This is truly said withinside the constitution,” Siddaramaiah stated, speakme at a press convention held on the KPCC workplace in Bengaluru. Meanwhile, leaders of the Muslim network have stated they’ll venture the pass in Court.