Controversy Erupts Over Reservation Policy in Karnataka, what DK Shivakumar told? What BJP said?

A big controversy has arisen in Karnataka politics regarding reservation. Political uproar has erupted after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced 4% reservation for government contractors in the state budget 2025-26. This reservation has been given not for education or jobs but in the tenders of government projects, where minorities and backward classes will get special opportunities to get contracts up to Rs 1 crore. But questions have started arising on this decision whether this reservation is only for the Muslim community or other classes have also been included in it.

However, Category 2B has been mentioned in the budget, which specifically includes the Muslim community. This gave the opposition an opportunity to target the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed it as appeasement politics.

Shivakumar's clarification

State Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, while clarifying on this issue, said that 4% reservation is not for Muslims alone, but for all minorities and backward classes. He said that this reservation has been implemented under the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act (KTPP) and it includes all communities falling under Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Category-1, Category-2A and Category-2B.

BJP says decision against Constitution

The BJP called this decision of the Congress government against the basic spirit of the Constitution and said that it is the height of appeasement. State BJP president BY Vijayendra said that the Congress government is taking the state towards unrest. He also raised the question that when no funds have been released for any MLA till now, no tender has been issued, then what will be the benefit of this reservation?

The BJP leader said that the Congress government is considering only Muslims as a minority, while other communities like Madivala, Savita and other backward classes also need to be strengthened economically. He alleged that the government is engaged in appeasing only a particular section instead of bringing these communities into the mainstream.

Religion-based reservation is not acceptable: Ravi Shankar Prasad 

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "Religion-based reservation is not acceptable under the Indian Constitution. It is clearly written in it that reservation can be done according to social backwardness, educational backwardness. You can give reservation to all castes in it." The BJP MP said, "But giving 4 percent reservation on government contracts is completely unconstitutional." He said, "Recently the Calcutta High Court also canceled reservation on the basis of religion and on 9 December 2024, the Supreme Court told West Bengal that reservation should not be on the basis of religion."

Government's stand 

Amidst this controversy, the government has passed the amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act in the cabinet. The state government argues that this reservation is not limited to Muslims only, but is being given to all backward and minority communities to increase their participation in government contracts. Now it remains to be seen how big a political controversy this issue becomes. Will the Congress be able to justify its decision among the public or will the BJP try to win the trust of the public by presenting it as appeasement?

Prakash Kuamr Pandey