Did Congress Give Reservation To Muslims Under OBC Quota In Karnataka As Claimed By PM Modi?

BJP and the Congress are at loggerheads over the OBC Muslim quota in Karnataka.

NEW DELHI: A day ahead of the second phase of Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attacked the Congress government in Karnataka for its decision to categorise the entire Muslim community in the state under the OBC category. The Prime Minister has warned that the main opposition party will implement this model in the entire nation. "Congress government in Karnataka declared all the people of the Muslim community in Karnataka as OBC. Congress already added so many new people into the OBC community that earlier OBCs used to get reservations in education and government jobs but now these reservations they used to get have been secretly snatched away from them," PM said while addressing a rally in Morena, Madhya Pradesh.

During his speech, the Prime Minister went on to say that when Congress was at the Centre in 2011, it had decided to give away a part of OBC reservation on religious lines.

"On December 19, 2011, a note was run in the cabinet which mentioned that a part of 27 per cent OBC must be given to a specific religion. Later, the Andhra Pradesh High Court struck the decision of Congress. They went to Supreme Court but they also upheld the decision of Andhra HC. In 2014, they again mentioned in their manifesto if the reservation has to be given on the religious lines then they will go ahead with it," the PM said.

"Here in Madhya Pradesh, those getting the benefit of reservations such as Yadavs, Khushwahas, Gujjars and other backward classes, all your reservations will go away to their favourite vote bank. They want to implement this model in the whole country," PM Modi warned in Morena.

'मजहबी आरक्षण' पर पीएम का 'प्रहार'...जानिए, PM मोदी ने कर्नाटक सरकार पर आरक्षण को लेकर क्यों किया 'वार'?#PMModi #LokSabhaElections2024 #Congress | @priyasi90 pic.twitter.com/40xbW95Ar3 — Zee News (@ZeeNews) April 25, 2024

Labelling the Congress as the "biggest enemy of the OBCs", PM Modi said, "Once again, Congress has granted religious-based reservation in Karnataka by including all Muslim castes along with the OBCs through the backdoor. This move has deprived a significant portion of the reservation from the OBC community."

Siddaramaiah's Counter-Attack On PM

However, in a sharp rebuttal to PM Modi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the Muslim quota and said the claim that the Congress had "transferred" the reservation from backward classes to Muslims was a "blatant lie". Siddaramaiah also questioned whether former Prime Minister Deve Gowda still stood by his support for quotas for Muslims as he initiated the measure or "surrender to Narendra Modi".

"Is Deve Gowda, who once boasted of implementing the reservation for Muslims, still committed to his stand? Or will they surrender to Narendra Modi and change their previous stand? He should make it clear to the people of the state," Siddaramaiah said.

Prime Minister @narendramodi's claim that the Congress has transferred the reservation quota from backward classes and Dalits to Muslims is a blatant lie.

It stems from ignorance but also indicative of his desperation born from a fear of defeat. No leader in the history of our… pic.twitter.com/626QZpRVJ0 — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 24, 2024

NCBC Flags Karnataka’s Muslim OBC Quota

Adding fuel to the fire, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) chairperson Hansraj Ahir has questioned Karnataka’s policy categorising all Muslims as a backward class. Ahir said the state chief secretary would be summoned for not submitting the report based on which Muslims were included in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category on the grounds of religion.

Ahir claimed that the Congress-led Karnataka government’s OBC reservation policy is depriving people of other backward classes of their rights. This comes days before the first round of polling in the state for the Lok Sabha on 26 April. According to the 2011 Census, Muslims constitute 12.92 per cent of the population in Karnataka.  

As per the data from Karnataka government, all castes and communities of Muslims of Karnataka have been included in the list of OBCs for reservation in employment and educational institutions under the state govt. Under Category II-B, all Muslims of Karnataka state have been… pic.twitter.com/eh1IYF3FX0 — ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2024

What Is The Current Reservation Status?

The Karnataka government provides 32 per cent reservation to OBCs under five categories — Category I, Category II-A, Category II-B, Category III-A and Category III-B.

According to the state’s policy, all Muslims in Karnataka are considered socially and educationally backwards under Category II-B. In addition, they also get OBC quota benefits under two other categories; 17 Muslim communities have been listed in Category I and 19 Muslim communities in Category II-A.

The Muslim quota under OBC category became a flashpoint during the assembly elections in Karnataka last year. In March 2023, the then BJP government scrapped 4 per cent OBC quota for Muslims (under Category II-B) and distributed 2 per cent each to two dominant communities — Vokkaligas and Lingayats. However, the state government’s notification was challenged in the Supreme Court, which stayed its implementation.  

Who Implemented The Quota For Muslims In Karnataka First?

A deeper dive into official records reveals that the Muslim quota in Karnataka was first implemented by the then HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal government in 1995. Interestingly, the same party, JD(S), is now in alliance with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The HD Deve Gowda government allocated 4% reservation to Muslims in Karnataka under a distinct classification, 2B, within the OBC quota.

An order dated February 14, 1995, issued by the Karnataka government, says that this decision was based on recommendations from the Chinnappa Reddy Commission Report and complied with the Supreme Court's directive to limit overall reservations to 50 per cent.

The Reddy Commission suggested grouping Muslims under Category 2 in the OBC list. Acting upon this recommendation, the Congress government led by Veerappa Moily announced in April 1994 a six per cent reservation in Category 2B, labeled as "More Backward," for Muslims, Buddhists, and Scheduled Caste converts to Christianity.

While four per cent of the reservation was allocated to Muslims, the remaining two per cent was designated for Buddhists and SCs who converted to Christianity. The implementation of this reservation was set to commence on October 24, 1994.

However, the reservation faced legal challenges in the Supreme Court. An interim order issued on September 9, 1994, directed the Karnataka government to ensure that overall reservations did not exceed 50 per cent, inclusive of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs. Consequently, the Congress government led by Veerappa Moily collapsed on December 11, 1994, before implementing the order, facing a political crisis.

HD Deve Gowda assumed office as Chief Minister on December 11, 1994. On February 14, 1995, he implemented the previous government's quota decision with amendments in accordance with the Supreme Court's interim verdict.

SCs who converted to Christianity and Buddhism, previously categorized under 2B, were reclassified into Category 1 and 2A respectively, in the same order. Under the 2B quota, four per cent of seats in educational institutions and state government jobs were reserved for Muslims.

The OBC quota for Muslims under Category II-B persisted even after the Congress came to power. In July 2023, the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) raised concerns about the reservation policy during a field visit to the state.