"Ready For Discussion": Karnataka BJP Chief To Congress On Reservation Issue

Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nalin Kumar Kateel has said that he is "ready for open discussion" challenging the Congress on the reservation issue in the state.

Mr Kateel said that the Bommai government has taken the right decision to scrap 4 per cent reservation for minority communities. 

"The decision has been taken so as not to cause injustice to any community. Congress is playing politics in this issue. I am ready for an open discussion on this matter. It's an open challenge to Congress", said Mr Kateel.

"DK (Shivakumar)'s statement told that if their government comes to power then they will scrap 4 per cent reservation for minority communities. Let them remove it if they have the guts. Everyone should get social justice. In that regard, our government has done a good job", he told the media.

He also said that Congress is against the ideals of Gandhiji and Ambedkar.

On the incident of stone pelting on BS Yeddyurappa's house, Mr Kateel said that it was politically motivated.

Congress on Sunday said that if voted to power in the upcoming Assembly election, it will restore reservation for the Muslim community under the OBC list that has been scrapped by the BJP-led government in Karnataka.

Addressing media persons here Congress State President D K Shivakumar said, "I am confident that Congress will come to power after the next 45 days. We will scrap all these reservations as there is no base in this there was no report while making this decision."

He stated that the communities of Vokkaligas and Lingayats will also reject the newly offered reservation quota given to them by the BJP.

"Vokkaligas and Lingayats are people who are called 'annadatas'. They plough the land and give food. They are landowners. We don't want any of their reservation as minorities are our brothers and this is a country for all the communities. Our country is very rich in our culture. BJP has taken their 4 per cent and distributed 2 per cent each to Vokkaligas and Lingayats. The Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva Lingayats are rejecting this offer," the Congress leader said.

Mr Shivakumar also termed the current reservation system in the State under the BJP government "a mockery".

"Reservation in Karnataka is a mockery. It is unconstitutional. They think reservations in the State can be distributed like their property but it is not a property it is a right. The minorities of this soil have their own rights. We don't want their 4 per cent to be scrapped and be given to major communities," the Congress Karnataka chief said.

In a cabinet meeting held on Friday, the Karnataka government scrapped the four per cent OBC reservation for Muslims and distributed it to two dominant communities, Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas. It also decided to move OBC Muslims to the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.

While addressing a public meeting on Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Reservations provided to the minority was not as per Constitution. There is no provision in the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion."

"Congress Government due to its polarisation politics provided reservation to the minority. Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) scrapped that reservation and provided reservations to Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)