Amit Shah defends K'taka govt's decision to scrap 4% reservation for Muslims
says quota based on religion not valid constitutionally
Bidar/Raichur (KTK) (PTI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lauded the Karnataka government's decision of scrapping the four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B Other Backward Classes (OBCs) category, saying the quota on religious lines was constitutionally invalid.
Addressing public gatherings at Gorata village in Bidar district and Gabbur in Raichur district, he slammed the Congress for introducing the four per cent reservation for Muslims for "its vote bank politics".
The Union Minister pointed out that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government also tried to do away the injustice to the Scheduled Castes by introducing a new internal reservation.
The entire 2B category was only for the Muslims and the BJP government scrapped it saying that it was not constitutionally tenable and divided the four per cent quota equally among the two dominant communities of the state: Vokkaligas in 2C reservation category and Veerashaiva-Lingayats in 2D reservation category.
With this, 2B became redundant while Vokkaligas' reservation went up from four per cent to six per cent and Lingayats from five per cent to seven per cent.
"The BJP never believes in appeasement. So, it decided to change the reservation," Shah said strongly defending the decision.
"The BJP abolished the four per cent reservation given to the minorities and gave two per cent to the Vokkaligas and two per cent to the Lingayats," Shah said.
"The reservation for minorities is not Constitutionally valid. There is no provision in the Constitution to give reservation based on religion. This Congress government did it for its appeasement politics and gave reservation to the minorities," he added.
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Haryana Congress expels 13 for contesting assembly polls as independents
Chandigarh (PTI): The Haryana unit of Congress on Friday expelled thirteen party leaders for "anti-party activities" over their decision to contest as independent candidates against the party's official picks for the assembly polls.
They were being expelled for six years with immediate effect to curb indiscipline in the party, the Congress said.
Naresh Dhande (Guhla SC seat), Pardeep Gill (Jind), Sajjan Singh Dhull (Pundri), Sunita Battan (Pundri), Rajiv Mamuram Gondar (Nilokheri-SC), Dayal Singh Sirohi (Nilokheri-SC), Vijay Jain (Panipat Rural), Dilbag Sandil (Uchana Kalan), Ajit Phogat (Dadri), Abhijeet Singh (Bhiwani), Satbir Ratera (Bawani Khera-SC), Nitu Mann (Prithla) and Anita Dhull Badsikri (Kalayat) have been expelled as per a party order issued by Congress state unit chief Udai Bhan.
Notably, there were many party leaders who were upset over being denied tickets to contest the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls, but the party had later managed to pacify most of them.
For the Congress, senior leader and former minister Sampat Singh had withdrawn his nomination from Nalwa seat after filing papers while another leader Ram Kishen 'Fauji' also withdrew from the race from Bawani Khera segment.
From Ambala City, former MLA Jasbir Malaur withdrew from the contest against Congress's nominee and former minister Nirmal Singh.
However, Nirmal Singh's daughter, Chitra Sarwara, a Congress rebel, is contesting from Ambala Cantt seat. The party has already taken action against her.
