Karnataka hikes minority quota for housing schemes by 5%, BJP slams move

Responding to queries on the reasons behind enhancing the reservation, he said that the government “considered the fact that many people from minority communities did not have homes”. The Central government too has issued directions to that effect, Patil said, adding that the hike would benefit members of Muslim, Christian and Jain communities in the state.

Criticising the decision, the BJP accused the CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of converting “welfare into a marketplace for vote-bank politics”. In a post on X, BJP’s Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra said it was a “dangerous attempt to institutionalize communal vote-bank politics. It not only robs SCs, STs, and OBCs of their rightful opportunities, but also sends a disturbing message that merit, backwardness, and constitutional principles are secondary to religious appeasement”.

In a post on X, BJP’s IT department head Amit Malviya said, “This is brazen. Blatantly illegal and unconstitutional. There can be no reservation on the basis of religion. The Constitution is unambiguous on this.”

“This isn’t governance, it’s dangerous social engineering. Congress is determined to sow the seeds of division, polarise communities, and rip apart the social fabric of Karnataka — all for short-term political gain,” Malviya said.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters that the decision was “unconstitutional” as it “violated Supreme Court guidelines that reservation cannot be provided on the basis of religion”.

Defending the decision, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar said that a lot of flats built by the Housing Department in urban areas remain unoccupied. “The minorities have shown interest in moving in to those flats. Hence, we are increasing their quota in urban housing from 10% to 15%,” he said.

On BJP’s attacking the government’s decision, he said, “… we are only helping the poor. What should the government do when no one is applying for these flats?” he said.