Congress used ‘religion’ to come to power, says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

Press Trust of India

Belagavi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress alleging that it used ‘mazhab’ (meaning religion in Urdu) to come to power.  

Singh also slammed the party for having introduced four per cent reservation, in its earlier term, on religious lines in Karnataka, saying it had been done only to appease Muslims. “If there is any political party in the history of India which took the support of ‘dharma’, or rather, ‘mazhab’ to come to power, then it is Congress,” Singh said, addressing a public meeting at Kagwad in Belagavi district. The Congress does the “politics of Hindu, Muslim and Christians”, Singh said.

“Politics of this sort should never ever be done.” Only to appease Muslims, the four per cent reservation was given on religious lines, he alleged. “We will welcome if an economically-weaker Muslim or a Christian gets reservation benefits but the Constitution of India does not permit religion-based reservation,” the Defence Minister said.

Just days before the Model Code of Conduct came into force, the BJP government in Karnataka scrapped four per cent reservation for Muslims under 2B category of the Other Backward Castes. After making 2B redundant, the Karnataka government split the four per cent reservation, giving two per cent each to the two dominant communities of the state, Vokkaligas in 2C and Lingayats in 2D category.

Muslims were then placed in the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category. Various Muslim bodies have approached the Supreme Court, which has directed the Karnataka government not to implement its decision until it hears the matter on May 9.