Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 19 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar rebuffed BJP leader Amit Malviya's criticism of the state government's decision to raise minority reservations in housing schemes from 10 per cent to 15 per cent, accusing the BJP of fostering division.
Malviya had criticised the Congress government, alleging the hike was a move to "appease its vote bank" at the expense of other communities, calling it "blatantly illegal and unconstitutional."
Shivakumar accused the BJP of promoting divisive politics and said the government's decision was based on recommendations like the Sachar Committee Report and aimed at correcting implementation lapses in minority housing quotas.
Addressing the media, Shivakumar said, "I am least bothered about any other BJP leader's comments or anything. They create hatred and they will try to divide society. We always try to unite society. There is a Sachar Committee Report which states that 15 per cent of the reservation should be given on welfare schemes to minorities. In various schemes, we had given 10 per cent of houses' reservation to them but in rural parts of Karnataka, there are no minorities. All minorities are in urban section - some were 25 per cent, some others 30 per cent, somewhere else 12 per cent. So, there were a lot of lapses. That is why, my Minister proposed it."
The Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday approved an increase in the reservation quota for minority communities under various housing schemes from 10 per cent to 15 per cent.
Karnataka Minister HK Patil stated that this move does not require any new rules to be drafted.
"The reservation for all minority communities will be increased. There are Christians, Jains, Buddhists," the Minister said.
Earlier on Thursday, Amit Malviya in a post in X said, "Congress is determined to sow the seeds of division, polarise communities, and rip apart the social fabric of Karnataka."
"This is brazen. Blatantly illegal and unconstitutional. There can be no reservation on the basis of religion -- the Constitution is unambiguous on this. Yet, the Congress government in Karnataka is hell-bent on pushing religious quotas to appease its vote bank. This isn't governance, it's dangerous social engineering. Congress is determined to sow the seeds of division, polarise communities, and rip apart the social fabric of Karnataka -- all for short-term political gain. Karnataka deserves better," he said.