Will restore scrapped 4 per cent quota for Muslims in Karnataka when we come to power, says Cong
Bengaluru (PTI): Flaying the BJP-led Karnataka government for its decision to scrap the reservation for Muslims under Category 2B in the OBC list, the Congress declared on Sunday that it would restore the quota to the minority community in the event of the party coming to power in the State, where Assembly elections are due by May.
The Cabinet meeting on Friday also decided to split this quantum (four per cent) equally between Vokkaliga and Veerashaiva-Lingayats at two per each in jobs and admissions in educational institutions, which was welcomed by the two politically influential communities.
The government moved Muslims into the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) pool.
President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) D K Shivakumar termed the step "unconstitutional"
"They (the government) think that reservation can be distributed like a property. It's not a property. It's a right (of minorities)", he told reporters here. "We don't want their four per cent to be scrapped and given to any of the major communities. They (members of the minority community) are our brothers and family members".
"Entire Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats are rejecting this offer," Shivakumar claimed.
Exuding confidence that the Congress party will come to power in the "next 45 days", he said: "we will scrap all this" and added that there is no basis to remove Muslims from the OBC list.
Charging the Bommai government with trying to rake up "emotional issues" as it's set to lose the polls, Shivakumar said as party president, he wants to declare that the first meeting of the Cabinet, in the event of Congress coming to power, would take a decision to restore the quota.
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Agra waiter shot dead; Police dismiss 'Pahalgam revenge' claims as fake narrative
Agra: The fatal shooting of a 27-year-old Muslim waiter in Agra on Wednesday night has sparked controversy after social media claims linked the incident to "revenge" for the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Kashmir. However, the police have dismissed these claims, terming them as fake and inflammatory.
Gulfam, an employee at a restaurant on Shilpgram Road, was shot dead around midnight by three unidentified assailants on a scooter. Saif Ali (25), who worked at a nearby dhaba, was also injured in the firing and is currently stable after undergoing surgery to remove a bullet from his shoulder.
Shortly after the shooting, a video circulated online showing two men identifying themselves as members of the “Kshatriya Gau Raksha Dal” and claiming responsibility for the killing as an act of revenge for the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists. The men, armed with guns and knives, alleged that the victim had been targeted for his religious identity.
Tajganj Police, however, have rejected any communal motive behind the attack. The Agra Police Commissionerate clarified via its official X handle that no such organization exists in the city and that preliminary investigations point to a personal dispute, reportedly over food quality.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Tajganj) Areeb Ahmed stated that an FIR under Sections 101 (murder) and 109 (attempt to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita has been registered. Six teams are currently reviewing CCTV footage and monitoring border checkpoints to track down the accused.
One of the individuals seen in the viral video has been taken into custody, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend the second. ACP (Cyber Cell) Sukanya Sharma warned that spreading communal misinformation could lead to legal consequences under the IT Act, and said cyber teams have flagged several handles for inciting tensions online.
Officials at S.N. Medical College confirmed that Gulfam died of a close-range gunshot wound. Forensic teams recovered three spent cartridges from the crime scene. Eyewitnesses described the attackers as being in their early 20s and fleeing towards Fatehabad Road.
Local citizens’ group Hindustani Biradari has called for communal harmony and announced the deployment of volunteers to counter online disinformation.
Restaurant owner Shahid Ali has appealed for enhanced night patrolling and upgraded CCTV infrastructure, particularly in the Shilpgram-Taj East Gate corridor—a tourist-heavy area recently visited by US Vice President J.D. Vance and his family.
Police expect significant progress in the investigation within 48 hours and continue to examine all possible motives, including communal provocation.
उत्तर प्रदेश के आगरा में 3 लोगों ने रेस्टोरेंट वर्कर गुलफाम की गोली मारकर हत्या कर दी। फायरिंग में सैफ अली के सीने पर भी गोली के छर्रे लगे हैं।
— Sachin Gupta (@SachinGuptaUP) April 24, 2025
क्षत्रिय गौरक्षा दल से जुड़े मनोज चौधरी ने एक Video जारी करके कहा– "ताजनगरी आगरा में 2 कटु* मारे गए। क्षत्रिय गोरक्षा दल इसकी… pic.twitter.com/qhNj8pw5b8
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE AGRA (@agrapolice) April 24, 2025
