Muslim organisations seek restoration of 2B reservation, place 10 demands before govt
Bengaluru: Federation of Karnataka Muslim Organisations has placed 10 major demands before the state government at the ‘Karnataka Muslim Convention’, including the restoration of reservation for Muslims under Category 2B of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and the repeal or amendment of the anti-cow slaughter law and the withdrawal of the anti-conversion law.
Presenting the demands in his keynote address at the convention organised by the federation at Town Hall in Bengaluru on Saturday, social activist Muhammad Yaseen Malpe said the Congress government had promised to withdraw the order issued by the previous BJP government banning hijab for Muslim girl students. He said the restriction remained in force until the date of the convention was announced and thanked the government for withdrawing it.
On reservation, Yaseen Malpe said the Congress government has not restored the reservation for Muslims under Category 2B, which was abolished by the previous BJP government in 2023, despite being in power for three years. He said that although the Supreme Court of India had stayed the order abolishing the reservation, no legislative steps have been taken to restore it, and urged the government to do so at the earliest.
Referring to the anti-conversion law, he said the state cabinet had decided on June 15, 2023 to repeal the legislation introduced by the BJP government. However, he noted that no Bill to withdraw the law has yet been introduced in the Legislative Assembly. He said the law, which he described as intended to harass minorities and curtail religious freedom, continues to remain in force and demanded that it be withdrawn immediately.
On the anti-cow slaughter law, he said the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020 had become a “death warrant” for farmers, labourers, meat traders and cattle transporters and alleged that it was enacted with the sole intention of targeting Muslims. He demanded that the law be repealed or amended without delay.
Yaseen Malpe said the Congress had promised in its election manifesto to allocate Rs 10,000 crore annually for minority welfare. However, he pointed out that only around Rs 4,762 crore has been earmarked in the 2026-27 Budget, which he said was less than half of the promised amount. He urged the government to fully implement the commitment in the coming years.
On waqf properties, he alleged that large-scale encroachment, illegal transfers, undervalued leases and weak administration continue to affect waqf assets. He said the government had not done satisfactory work in recovering, developing and ensuring accountability in respect of waqf properties. He also expressed dissatisfaction that the state government had not clearly opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and called for a concrete plan to protect waqf properties.
Regarding the caste survey, he said neither the caste census report of the Kantharaj Commission nor the report of the survey conducted under the leadership of Madhusudhan R. Naik has been tabled in the legislature. He said this had stalled important reforms relating to reservation and welfare and alleged that the government had caused great injustice and disappointment to backward classes, Dalits, minorities and other weaker sections.
On hate speech, hate crimes and hate campaigns, he said incidents targeting Muslims, including mob violence, moral policing and economic boycotts, continue to occur. He said repeated offenders were not facing effective legal action and urged the government to take necessary steps.
On political representation, Yaseen Malpe said Muslims remain underrepresented in the Legislative Assembly, Legislative Council, corporations and boards, universities, commissions and local bodies. He noted that Muslims constitute around 13 per cent of Karnataka’s population, but only 19 of the Congress party’s 136 MLAs are Muslims. He also said that since this government came to power, only one Muslim had been given an opportunity in the selection to 15 seats in the Legislative Council.
He further stated that not a single Muslim heads any of the state’s major government medical institutions and demanded representation for Muslims in legislative bodies and key government institutions in proportion to their population.
On education, he said the government had undertaken some positive measures for Muslim students and expressed gratitude for them. However, he said substantial work remains to be done in staff recruitment, staff deployment, curriculum coverage, proper disbursal of scholarships and hostel capacity. He also pointed out that the condition of Maulana Azad Schools is highly concerning in several places.
On the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he demanded that the Karnataka Legislative Assembly pass a resolution opposing the exercise, which he said had adversely affected minorities in Bihar and West Bengal. He urged the government to ensure that SIR is not implemented in Karnataka and that no voter is deprived of the right to vote.
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Andhra CM Naidu promises cash incentives for third, fourth child
Narasannapeta (Andhra Pradesh) (PTI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced incentives of Rs 30,000 for the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth, as part of efforts to reverse the state’s declining population trend.
Addressing a public meeting at Narsannapeta in Srikakulam district, Naidu said he had taken the decision and would announce further details within a month.
“I have made a new decision. We will provide Rs 30,000 immediately after the birth of a third child and Rs 40,000 for a fourth child. Isn’t this the right decision?” Naidu said on the sidelines of the SwarnaAndhra SwachAndhra cleanliness programme.
Although he had once advocated population control measures, the CM said the time had now come for society to work together to increase the birth rate.
Naidu’s latest announcement follows an earlier proposal to provide a Rs 25,000 incentive for the birth of a second child.
On March 5, he informed the Assembly that the state government was considering an incentive of Rs 25,000 for couples having a second child.
However, Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav told PTI on Saturday that the government had decided to extend the incentives to families having a third child and beyond.
According to Naidu, rising incomes are leading some couples to opt for a single child, while others are choosing a second child only if their firstborn is a girl.
As a result, he warned that the state’s population growth rate is declining and stressed the importance of maintaining the replacement-level total fertility rate (TFR) of 2.1.
He noted that a population remains stable only when the fertility rate is 2.1 children per woman.
He emphasised that declining populations and ageing societies in several countries have adversely affected their economies.
Rejecting the notion that children are a burden, Naidu argued that they are an asset and vowed to demonstrate it.
Referring to the Talliki Vandanam welfare scheme, which provides Rs 15,000 per school-going child per annum, Naidu said he would increase the amount “if God shows mercy”.
He said the government is printing tamper-proof pattadar passbooks (land documents) and assured that there would be “no land disputes” by March 2027.
The TDP supremo promised to develop the Srikakulam district through infrastructure projects and the completion of irrigation works.
Giving project timelines, Naidu said the government would complete the Madduvalasa Stage–II project by January 2027, the Hiramandalam Lift Irrigation Project by April 2027, and the Thotapalli distributaries by July 2027, among others.
After the formation of the TDP-led NDA government, he said that 86 lakh tonnes of legacy waste had been cleared and promised 100 per cent clearance by June.
Further, the CM urged people to follow PM Narendra Modi’s guidelines to address economic challenges arising from the US–Israel–Iran conflict.
Naidu advised people to work from home as much as possible, reduce gold purchases, explore domestic tourism, use public transport, and take similar steps to support the economy and cooperate with the government.
