‘Quota for backward Muslims in Karnataka since 1994, why didn’t BJP undo it in power?’: Randeep Singh Surjewala

Excerpts:

Proceedings in Parliament were disrupted on Monday over 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts in Karnataka. The BJP has also alleged that D K Shivakumar spoke about changing the Constitution …

The issue of cash recovered from the house of a Delhi High Court judge seems to be reaching the BJP’s doorstep and its leadership at some level. They conspired and manufactured controversy by falsely attributing a statement to Shivakumar and getting both Houses adjourned.

Shivakumar has said he was not present in the Karnataka Assembly when the Bill (providing 4% reservation) came up for discussion. He also said he never said the Constitution would be amended to give religion-based reservation and also clarified that reservation in Karnataka was given keeping backwardness as a criterion. The entire controversy is fake and manufactured.

Why do you say that the controversy is reaching the BJP’s doorstep?

It is still unfolding. We have some information but in the absence of hard evidence, I would not like to say anything at this juncture. (Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha) Mallikarjun Kharge also said so on the floor of the House.

How does the Congress high command view the 4% quota for Muslims, especially when the party’s Lok Sabha manifesto promised to expand the ambit of the Public Procurement Policy to award more contracts to contractors belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs)? It did not mention Muslims …

Reservation in Karnataka under category 2B, under which backward Muslims are covered, has existed since 1994. Why did the BJP not undo it if it was wrong while they were in power multiple times between 1994 and 2025? Why are they raising this issue now?

The reservation structure in Karnataka is 24% for SCs/STs, 4% for OBCs falling in category 1, 15% for OBCs in category 2A, and 4% for OBCs under category 2B. It has been like this and was extended to public contracts in 2015 and has been in existence for 11 years now. What the (Siddaramaiah) government has done now is raise the ceiling of government contracts from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore.

But the controversy is about extending the quota to Muslim contractors…

It has existed since 2015. The BJP wanted to get the House adjourned and hence, are demanding the deletion of category 2B. It has existed for government jobs and education since 1994. Where were you till now? Were you sleeping?

A Karnataka minister (K N Rajanna) claimed on the floor of the Assembly last week that he had been a target of a honey-trapping attempt by a gang that also targeted 47 others across party lines. What is the high command’s stand on the issue?

The minister has been asked to submit a complaint while the Karnataka Home Minister (G Parameshwara) and CM have said they will constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issue. We will investigate everything fairly.

Will the high command intervene and summon leaders to Delhi?

Everybody was busy with Assembly proceedings. I have not been able to meet the CM but he will come (to Delhi). I will seek more details from him to apprise (Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi and the Congress president about it.

Has this controversy left the party red-faced?

Let the investigation happen. I do not want to jump the gun. I would like to know the facts and details of the investigation, which will not take long.