Hubli (Karnataka):
Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said reservation based on religion is unconstitutional, and asserted that the BJP will implement the quota formula adopted by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s government in Karnataka. He said the BJP has given tickets for the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka on the basis of winnability and not on the basis of majority or minority and nowhere a non-Lingayat candidate has replaced a Lingayat.
Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently quit the BJP and joined the Congress, will not win the election this time, with Mr Shah declaring that Hubli-Dharwad has always voted for the BJP.
Shah said, “I want to assure the people of Karnataka that whatever reservation formula is adopted by the Bommai government, we will implement it on the ground including sub-category reservation (internal reservation) among Dalits. This is our promise.” ” Said.
Addressing a press conference here, he said reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional and will never be “allowed” under the Constitution.
On reservation being more than 50 per cent, Shah said, “It has been challenged in the court, wait for its order.”
“Congress leaders are saying that they will once again bring Muslim reservation. I want to ask them with all humility, whose (quota) will you reduce to bring it back? Will you reduce Vokkaligas or Lingayats or Dalits or STs? Will do. Congress will have to come clean on this,” he said.
He said, “Those Muslim communities who come under OBC, we are ready to give them reservation even today and are giving it, but no one should be given reservation on the basis of religion, this is the basic spirit of the constitution.”
Just before the announcement of elections in Karnataka, the state cabinet led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai decided to scrap the four per cent reservation for Muslims under the Other Backward Classes quota and distribute it equally among the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities Was.
Earlier, the government had decided to increase reservation for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 per cent to 7 per cent, taking the total reservation in Karnataka to 56 per cent, well above the cap of 50 per cent. and recommended to bring the Center under the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
With a section of Scheduled Castes demanding internal reservation alleging that only a few influential sub-castes are taking most of the benefits while many communities are still marginalized, the cabinet had also made a recommendation to the Center in this regard.
Asserting that there was not a single instance of a ticket being given to a non-Lingayat in place of a Lingayat, Mr Shah hit out at the Congress, asking what the party had done for the community.
“In its history, the Congress produced two Lingayat chief ministers, both humiliated and removed. One was removed by Indira Gandhi, while the other was humiliated and removed from the airport by Rajiv Gandhi. I am Patil saab (Virendra Patil). The Congress cannot speak on this.” He said the BJP respects all communities and tries to take everyone along.
When asked about family members of politicians getting tickets while BJP accused JD(S) of parivarvad (dynastic politics), the Union minister said, unlike JD(S), BJP party president and chief minister are family are not determined on the basis of
“Tell me anyone who is not contesting elections in the JD(S) family (Deve Gowda family) except one or two…BJP is always against nepotism in the main system, in many places family members of party workers can contest elections But it does not mean that BJP follows dynastic rule.
On the question of Muslims not getting tickets from BJP, he said, “Tickets were given on the basis of winnability. We do not believe in the concept of majority or minority.”
Responding to a question on the Congress seeking support from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Mr. Shah said that the Congress used to seek the support of the Popular Front of India (PFI) earlier; Now that it is banned, it is seeking support from its SDPI which is the political wing.
“Safe and secure Karnataka is not important for Congress, winning elections is important. BJP will not join hands with such parties,” he said.