BENGALURU: A proposal in Karnataka to grant a Muslim quota in government tenders has raised eyeballs. The administration under Siddaramaiah is currently examining a proposal to provide reservations to Muslims in public contracts for construction (civil) works up to Rs 1 crore. If this proposal goes through, then Karnataka will have a 47 per cent quota for government tenders.
Currently, Karnataka has reservations in civil works contracts for SC/STs, which is 24 per cent. For the OBC contracts belonging to Category-1, it is 4 per cent, while for those in Category-2, the quota is 15 per cent. All this adds up to 43 per cent.
This seems to be a push being made by Siddaramaiah to consolidate his AHINDA (minorities, backward classes and Dalits) grouping. However, according to officials, this is aimed at empowering the communities that are not well represented.
At present, the government is examining giving a quota for Muslims under Category-2B. This would mean that if passed then Muslims would have a 4 per cent quota in government contractors.
In his term, Siddaramaiah had introduced reservations in contracts for SC/STs. In his current term, he extended it to two OBC categories. This move is likely to irk the other contractors. The Vokkaligas and Lingayats, who form a major chunk of the population in Karnataka, had objected to the government extending the quota to those who fall under Categories- 1 and 2A. There is pressure on the Karnataka State Contractors Association to urgently convene a meeting and raise this issue with the government.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka SC/ST Contractors Association has urged the state’s Congress government to increase the reservation from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore. The Department of Social Welfare and Public Works is said to have agreed to this. However, it will be enhanced only after it is examined.
The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has been criticised several times in the past for appeasing Muslims. It had selectively dropped cases relating to the protests during COVID-19 pandemic. The government had also approved the withdrawal of cases against the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leaders, including Zahiruddin Ansari. They had been booked for organising a ‘Hijabis our Right’ procession in Kalaburgi’s Aland district. The protest took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this resulted in cases being filed under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
The government, however, refused to withdraw cases against Hindu students from Harihara in Davanagere, despite a sub-committee recommending the withdrawal. The students were charged with rioting, unlawful assembly and disrobing the hijab of Muslim girls.
Reacting to these decisions, the state president of the BJP, B Y Vijayendra, said that the Congress is indulging in appeasement politics. Siddaramaiah is trying to divert the main issue of MUDA land scam allegations by doing this, he also said. This selective approach by the Siddaramaiah government has sparked debates about political favouritism.
