'Religion no hindrance for providing Muslim reservation' :Gowda

New Delhi, Nov 15 (UNI) Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) President H D Deve Gowda today said religion should not be a hindrance in providing reservation benefits but supported the Supreme Court's decision to keep out the ''creamy layers'' in Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from availing the provision.

Talking to newspersons, Mr Deve Gowda said Karnataka had been providing reservation benefits to Muslims since 1995, when he was the Chief Minister, without anyone questioning the concept.

Referring to the BJP's objections to religion based reservations, he said he had provided four per cent reservation to Muslims, bringing them under 'Category 2B' and the same reservation pattern was still in vogue.

He said the BJP was the principal Opposition in Karnataka at that time and even today the party, as a coalition partner with JD (S) in Karnataka, had committed to protect reservations for SCs, STs and Minorities in future also.

''I don't know if BJP central leaders were aware of this, atleast at the local level, they have been extending all cooperation,'' he remarked.

The Karnataka reservation model provided 50 per cent seats for General Merit, while SCs and STs got their due share of 15 and three per cent respectively. The backward classes got 15 per cent, while microscopic minorities like Christians, Sikhs, Jains and Kodava communities got four per cent of the cake like Muslims.

The backwards among the Vokkaligas and Lingayats got four and five per cent respectively.

''This Karnataka model can be replicated at the national level if the government is committed to the cause,'' he said. He, however, declined to comment on the reservation policies adopted in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which have been struck down by the courts.

Mr Deve Gowda, who headed the United Front Government in 1996 for ten months, said he did discuss the issue in an 'honest bid' to provide reservation benefits to Muslims. ''I confess I could not do it because my party had just 44 MPs in Lok Sabha,'' he remarked.

UNI MCN SHB KP1820