Karnataka 4% Muslim quota in tenders: Tejasvi Surya blasts government
What's the story
BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has strongly criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government's move to reserve 4% of government tenders for Muslim contractors.
He called the move an "attack on the Constitution" and a policy that "incentivizes religious conversion."
Surya stressed that reservations in India were based on social and economic backwardness, not religion.
Allegations
Surya accuses Congress of exploiting public resources for vote-bank politics
Surya alleged that the Congress government in Karnataka was misusing its powers and public resources for the sake of vote bank politics.
He said that such strategies could turn the economy into a "playground for political opportunism."
The Karnataka Cabinet has cleared amendments to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, which seeks to provide four percent reservation in tenders for Muslim contractors.
Political fallout
BJP condemns Karnataka's decision to reserve tenders for Muslim contractors
The BJP has condemned the Karnataka government's decision to reserve four percent of government contracts for Muslims, terming it unconstitutional.
Former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pressurizing the decision and termed it an example of Congress's appeasement politics.
He warned that such decisions could weaken national unity and have serious national implications.
Queries
Prasad questions Congress's expansion of reservation beyond employment
Prasad also questioned Congress's move to extend the scope of reservation beyond employment calling it "completely unconstitutional."
"Will you have reservations for Muslims on train tickets as well?" he said.
He further said the BJP opposes this move and will continue to do so, asserting that "Religion-based reservation is not permissible under the Indian Constitution."