Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has reserved the Bill about four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contract for the President's assent, Raj Bhavan sources said on Wednesday (April 16). According to sources, Gehlot today marked the Bill as reserved for Presidential Droupadi Murmu 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.
The Bill was passed by both houses of the Karnataka Legislature in March amid protests by the opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 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.
Karnataka cabinet to discuss contentious 'caste census' report
The Karnataka cabinet, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will discuss the contentious Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, popularly known as 'caste census' on Thursday. Various communities, especially Karnataka's two dominant ones -- Vokkaliags and Veershaiva-Lingayats -- have expressed strong reservations about the survey that has been done, calling it "unscientific", and have demanded that it be rejected, and a fresh survey be conducted.
Objections have also been raised by various sections of society, and there are also strong voices against it from within the ruling Congress. However, not everyone is opposed. Leaders and organisations representing Dalits and OBCs among others, are in support of it, and want the government to make the survey report public and proceed with it, stating the government has spent Rs 160 crore public money on it.
With strong disapproval from the two politically influential communities, the survey report may turn out to be a political hot potato for the government, as it may set the stage for a confrontation, with Dalits and OBCs among others demanding for it to be made public and implemented. Amid growing opposition to the survey report, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday assured that his government will not let any injustice happen to anyone.
