Proposal for Muslim quota in initial stage: Minister Parameshwara

The government has received requests for 4% reservation for Muslims in government jobs but the proposal is only in the preliminary stage, home minister G Parameshwara said.

The government has received requests for 4% reservation for Muslims in government jobs but the proposal is only in the preliminary stage, home minister G Parameshwara said on Wednesday, day after the opposition accused chief minister Siddaramaiah of “lying” with regard to quota for the minority community.

G Parameshwara said that the chief minister has sent the proposal for verification to the concerned department (PTI)

Parameshwara said: “The chief minister has sent the proposal for verification to the concerned department. The decision in this regard will have to be made in the cabinet, and a proposal has to be sent in this regard by the concerned department.”

He further said that an official decision would only follow cabinet review and further procedural steps. “The order won’t be made after submission of a mere proposal,” he added.

In a post on X, leader of opposition R Ashoka said: “This is not the first time that Congress government has been caught lying.”

“From denying that Pro-Pakistan slogans were raised by Congress workers in Vidhan Soudha despite FSL reports confirming it, to brushing the Rameshwaram Cafe Bomb blast as an act of ’business rivalry’ and ’cylinder explosion’. The Congress government in Karnataka is shamelessly lying on the face of Kanandigas in every matter since last 18 months,” he wrote.

He also shared a government document on X alleging that Siddaramaiah had endorsed an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act’s sixth schedule to enable this reservation. However, Hindustan Times was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the shared document.

In response, Siddaramaiah on Wednesday reiterated that no final decision has been made regarding the inclusion of a reservation for Muslims in government contracts. In Mysuru, he told media: “While requests for reservations similar to those given to SCs, STs, and other backward classes had been received, the proposal remains under review… BJP’s allegations are merely an attempt to create communal discord.”