Union Home Minister Amit Shah Monday said that the BJP did not pursue the same brand of dynastic politics as Opposition parties, and that the selection of chief ministers and BJP presidents in the party was not based on "pariwarvaad (nepotism)". Responding to a question at a news conference at Hubballi on the BJP fielding family members of several party leaders, Shah said the accusation of the BJP being not so different from the JD(S) when it came to dynastic politics, was not even remotely true. "In the JD(S), after (former prime minister) H D Deve Gowda, H D Kumaraswamy is the leader. In the BJP, the party presidents and CMs change. There is a lot of difference. In the JD(S), show me someone [in Deve Gowda's family] who does not fight elections?" he said, adding that there were only a few in the family who did not. Addressing a press conference in Hubli, Karnataka. Watch Live. ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಹುಬ್ಬಳ್ಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪತ್ರಿಕಾಗೋಷ್ಠಿ, ಲೈವ್ ವೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ. — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 24, 2023 Even if party tickets are given to members of a BJP worker's family, he said, "the reins of the party are not handed over to them, the party is in different hands". Shah maintained that the BJP was always against dynastic politics. "In many places, family members of our karyakartas fight elections. It does not mean we pursue dynastic politics," he said. He accused the Congress of pursuing minority appeasement by providing reservation based on religion. "This was scrapped and reservation was increased to members of Lingayats and Vokkaligas, to ensure social justice," he said. The Karnataka government recently scrapped 4% reservation for Muslims and moved them to the EWS category, while extending their quota to the Lingayats and Vokkaligas. On the Supreme Court observation that the Karnataka government decision was shaky and flawed, on a petition, Shah said this was not the case. "The hearing of the case is still pending in the Supreme Court. I am assuring the people of Karnataka that the reservation formula of the Basavaraj Bommai government will be implemented at the ground level. Reservation based on religion is anti-constitutional and there has been no permission ever for this," he said. He also attacked Congress leaders for promising to reinstate the Muslim reservation in the state. "I ask Congress leaders humbly, they will reduce the reservation of which community? Of Vokkaligas? Lingayats? Dalits or STs? The Congress should be clear about this," he said. Muslim communities that are categorised as OBC will still get reservation, he said. "But reservation should not be based on religion." On the allegation that Lingayats were cheated as the BJP had denied tickets to senior Lingayat leaders, Shah said that BJP had "not changed a Lingayat (candidate) and given the post to a non-Lingayat. What did the Congress do for Lingayats? They appointed two Lingayat CMs who were insulted and removed. The Congress has no right to talk about Lingayats," he said.
