Karnataka Guv forwards Bill on 4 pc quota to Muslims in govt contracts to President's assent
Bengaluru, Apr 16 (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has reserved the Bill pertaining to four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contract for the President's assent, Raj Bhavan sources said on Wednesday.
According to sources, Gehlot marked the Bill as reserved for Presidential assent and sent it to the Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department. Now, the state government will send the file to the President to get his nod to the Bill that has created quite a stir in Karnataka.
In his letter to the state government, Gehlot said, "The Constitution of India does not permit reservation based on religion, as it violates the principles of equality (Article 14), non-discrimination (Article 15) and equal opportunity in public employment (Article16)."
"Supreme Court has consistently in various judgments ruled that affirmative action must be based on Social and Educational backwardness, not on religious identity," Gehlot said.
He also pointed out that the Article 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
"It is clear from Article 200 and 201 that a Bill passed by the State Assembly may become law if the Governor gives his assent to it or if having been reserved by the Governor for consideration of the President, it is assented to by the President," Gehlot said.
He emphasised that there is no provision in the Constitution, which lays down that a Bill which has been assented to by the President would be ineffective as an Act if there was no compelling necessity for the Governor to reserve it for the assent of the President.
It is for the Governor to exercise his discretion and to decide whether he should assent to the Bill or should reserve it for the consideration of the President to avoid any future complication, he noted.
Gehlot said, "In the light of the above, I hereby exercising the powers under Articles 200 and 201 of the Constitution of India, reserve The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025 for the consideration and assent of the President of India."
The Governor cited a recent Supreme Court judgment of Saurabh Chaudri versus Union of India (2003), which emphasised that Articles 15 and 16 prohibit reservations on the basis of religion and any affirmative action must be rather based on the socio-economic factors.
The Bill was passed by both houses of Karnataka Legislature amid protests by the opposition BJP on the last day of the previous Legislative session on March 21.
The protesting BJP legislators climbed on Speaker U T Khader's podium, tore the Bill and threw it on him. For this unruly behaviour, 18 BJP MLAs were suspended for six months.
The BJP charged that the Bill was illegal as there is no provision in the Indian Constitution to give reservation based on religion. It also alleged that the Bill smacks of appeasement politics of the ruling Congress.
The party has made this Bill a key issue during its 'Janaakrosha Yatre' (Public anger march), which is going on across the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
BJP urges compensation, aid after eight Karnataka devotees killed in Andhra road accident
Bengaluru (PTI): BJP leaders on Thursday urged the state government to coordinate with authorities in Andhra Pradesh to ensure prompt treatment for the injured and to provide assistance, including adequate compensation, to the families of victims from Karnataka after a road accident in Kurnool district claimed at least eight lives.
Among those killed were five women, and 10 others were injured when a Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) collided with a tanker in Mantralayam in Kurnool district on Thursday, police said.
The accident occurred when devotees travelling to Mantralayam for the darshan of Sri Raghavendra Swamy were involved in the crash. The vehicle, carrying nearly 20 passengers, rammed into a tanker.
BJP leaders stated that some of the victims were from Chikkamagaluru district in Karnataka.
Taking to the social media platform ‘X’, Karnataka BJP leader B Y Vijayendra expressed deep shock over the accident.
He said that eight devotees from the state, who were on their way for darshan at the Mantralayam temple, had lost their lives, calling it extremely heartbreaking that devotees heading for divine darshan met such an untimely end.
“While conveying my deepest condolences to the families of those who have perished in this tragedy, I pray that the injured recover fully and regain their health as soon as possible,” he said.
“I urge the state government to immediately get in touch with the Andhra Pradesh government and take appropriate steps to ensure that the injured receive necessary treatment without delay. The state government must respond promptly on humanitarian grounds, including providing the required assistance,” Vijayendra added.
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, R Ashoka, also conveyed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic incident.
“I pray that the injured recover swiftly. The state government must immediately provide appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased and take necessary steps to ensure the injured receive the required medical treatment,” he said in his post on ‘X’.
BJP MP and former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also expressed condolences to the families of the deceased.
“I urge the state government to immediately provide appropriate compensation to the families of the deceased and ensure the best medical treatment for the injured. May the departed souls attain eternal peace. I pray that their family members find the strength to bear this loss,” he added.
