Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists are citizens too: DKS

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress and the BJP in Karnataka on Monday once again sparred over the budgetary provision of four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts. The Congress rejected the BJP's allegation that religion-based reservation was "against constitutional provisions." Defending the reservation, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Buddhists are citizens of this country. "We have concerns for minorities and backward communities. When the BJP says it wants to take everyone along, let it appoint Christian and Muslim ministers.

Only then does BJP state president B Y Vijayendra have the right to speak about equality. Let him read the state anthem written by Kuvempu—then he will understand what makes Karnataka a peaceful garden," Shivakumar told reporters. Hitting back at Shivakumar, Vijayendra said that it was the BJP government, not the Congress, that had appointed Dr A P J Abdul Kalam as the President of India. "We appointed Najma Heptulla, Justice Abdul Nazeer, and Arif Mohammed Khan as governors. Musician Ustad Bismillah Khan was bestowed with the Bharat Ratna by the BJP government," Vijayendra told reporters. According to him, Congress's appeasement politics is not new.

He questioned the Congress party's concern for Dalits, asking where it was when its MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy's house was "torched by Muslim hooligans". The Leader of the Opposition, R Ashoka, claimed that several Supreme Court judgments have stated that there is no provision in the Constitution for religion-based reservations. "Yet, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wore a ‘topi' (skull cap), organised Tipu Jayanti, and introduced Shaadi Bhagya (launched in 2013, it provides financial assistance to economically backward minority women). He gave grants to Muslims beyond what they had asked for,'' he alleged.