Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur has strongly criticized the Karnataka government’s decision to amend the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, which provides a 4% reservation in government tenders for minority contractors. He accused the Congress government of engaging in vote-bank politics to appease the Muslim community.
Speaking to media, Thakur said, “Congress believes in the politics of appeasement, Divide and Rule. At the direction of Rahul Gandhi, the play staged by Karnataka Congress leaders clearly shows that to gain Muslim votes, a 4% reservation is being given in government contracts.”
He further argued that the move is against legal provisions and warned of consequences for the Karnataka government.
“This is against the law, and they would also have to face the consequences. Congress has not learnt anything even after so many defeats,” Thakur asserted.
Karnataka Government’s Stand
The Karnataka state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, approved the amendment to the KTPP Act on March 14. The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting at the Vidhan Sabha and is expected to be officially tabled in the ongoing assembly session.
However, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar clarified that the reservation policy is not limited to Muslims but extends to all minority communities and backward classes.
“The state government’s decision to provide a 4% reservation in government contracts is not exclusive to Muslims but extends to all minority communities and backward classes,” Shivakumar stated.
Supporting the move, State Minister Ramalinga Reddy dismissed BJP’s criticism, emphasizing that the reservation covers multiple minority groups.
“BJP always does nonsense things. There is a reservation for SC/ST. Now, we have given reservations to minorities. There are five to six minority communities. All will come under this reservation, not just one community,” Reddy said while addressing the media.
The debate over the Karnataka government’s decision has sparked political tensions, with BJP accusing Congress of appeasement politics and Congress leaders defending the move as an inclusive policy for marginalized communities.