Bengaluru: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has appealed to Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to withhold assent to a contentious bill proposing a 4% reservation for Muslims in public procurement contracts, labeling it unconstitutional and discriminatory, reported the India Today.
In his letter, Yatnal criticized the amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, which seeks to allocate a 4% quota for Muslims in civil contracts up to ₹2 crore and goods and services contracts up to ₹1 crore. He argued that such religion-based reservations contravene Article 15 of the Indian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination based on religion or caste.
Yatnal also referenced past judicial decisions, including a Supreme Court ruling that nullified West Bengal’s classification of 77 Muslim communities as Other Backward Classes (OBCs) for reservation benefits. He accused the Congress-led Karnataka government of engaging in “vote-bank politics” by introducing this reservation and warned that it could jeopardize national integrity, unity, and sovereignty.
The Karnataka government, however, defends the bill as a measure to address unemployment among backward classes and to encourage their participation in government civil works. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil introduced the amendment in the Legislative Assembly, emphasizing the government’s commitment to inclusive development.
The bill proposes reservations of 17.15% for Scheduled Castes (SCs), 6.95% for Scheduled Tribes (STs), 15% for Category 2A, and 4% for Category 2B (Muslims).
The debate over religion-based reservations continues to be a polarizing issue in Karnataka, with legal and political challenges anticipated in the near future.
