4% Quota Is For All Minorities, Not Only Muslims: Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar

Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar on Saturday cleared the air and backed CM Siddaramaiah stating the 4% quota announced by the Government is for all backward classes and not just only Muslims.

Earlier, Opposition leaders in Karnataka criticised the Congress government for favouring Muslims. They said CM Siddaramaiah does not only intend to give reservation in employment or education, instead, allows contractors to bid on government projects valued up to Rs 1 crore.

Reacting to the allegations, DK Shivakumar clarified that this quota extends beyond Muslims to include all minorities and backward classes.

Siddaramaiah recently announced reservations in government contracts within the state budget for 2025-26. A sum of Rs 42,018 crore was allocated for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes' welfare. Although he did not specify any community in his speech, the budget included category 2B, which is exclusively for Muslims.

Amendments and Reactions

The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act was amended and approved to increase reservation limits. Under this amendment, reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Category-I, Category-IIA, and Category-IIB contractors will rise to Rs 2 crore. This change aims to enhance opportunities for these groups in public procurement.

Minority leaders had requested a 4% reservation in contract works for Muslims, akin to those provided for SCs, STs, and other backward communities. Following this request, a cabinet meeting led by Siddaramaiah discussed introducing the bill. The state government eventually introduced the bill to amend the KTPP Act of 1999.

Political Backlash

The BJP criticised the government's move as contrary to constitutional principles and labelled it "appeasement politics." State BJP president BY Vijayendra accused Congress of leading Karnataka towards conflict. He questioned the lack of funds released for MLAs and pointed out that no tenders have been called or work allotted yet.

Vijayendra challenged whether Congress believes only Muslims are minorities. He urged CM Siddaramaiah to empower marginalised communities economically if he truly represents Ahinda (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits). He emphasised that other communities like Madivala and Savita also need state support.

Government's Stand

The Finance Department had already prepared a blueprint for this amendment. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil agreed with the changes. The amendment allows reservations in procuring goods and services under government departments up to Rs 1 crore for suppliers from SCs, STs, Category 1, Category 2A, and Category 2B.

Vijayendra criticised the government for not integrating these communities into mainstream society. He accused them of focusing on Muslim appeasement instead. "The people will have to teach them a lesson," he stated emphatically.