Raipur/Bengaluru – Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has strongly criticized the Karnataka government’s decision to reserve 4% of government contracts for Muslim contractors, calling it the “height of appeasement” and unconstitutional, reported the Times of India.
In a statement on Saturday night, Sai urged Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party MP Rahul Gandhi to instruct Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to revoke the decision, which he argued contradicts the fundamental principles of the Indian Constitution.
The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act has been amended to accommodate the quota, a move that Sai sees as a deliberate attempt by Congress to create division in society. He emphasized that religion-based reservations have been deemed unconstitutional by the courts and predicted that this decision would not withstand judicial scrutiny.
Sai further accused the Congress of exploiting marginalized communities, including tribals and Dalits, for vote bank politics. He asserted that the BJP would continue to oppose such policies and advocate for the rights of disadvantaged groups.
The Chhattisgarh CM also took aim at Mallikarjun Kharge, stating that as someone from a disadvantaged background, he should not support a policy that allegedly harms marginalized communities. He warned Kharge, saying,
“Be careful, Kharge ji, history will not forgive you.”
Sai suggested that Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were influencing Kharge’s decisions, leading him to act against the interests of his own community.
The controversy is expected to spark further political debate, with BJP leaders likely to challenge the decision in court.
