Saying that religious minorities cannot be a reservation category, the BJP government ditched 4% reservation for Muslims. But Jains and Christians are classified under the 2D quota category as per the order on March 27.
In Karnataka, the Jains and Christians remain eligible for quota under the government. The orders of reclassifying backward classes come under various categories for reservation in education and employment. This happened after the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government tossed the four percent quota for Muslims and placed them under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category. Religious minorities cannot be a reservation category, he said.
The government debated the agenda of reservation for dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities in its last Cabinet Meeting on March 27. The hike facilitates by removing Muslims from the B2B Backward Classes Category. It says that the community received four percent of reservations.
Then, reservations for the Vokkaligas and other castes in the 2C category went up to six percent from four percent. And up to seven percent from five percent that of Lingayat in the 2D category. Also, the government classifies Christians and Jains in the 2D category.
In 1994, the Muslims were given a 2B reservation that was for the moderately backward class during the tenure of HD Deve Gowda. After which they were classified as socially backward by the O Chinnappa Reddy Commission.
In the Cabinet Meeting of March 24, Bommai also said “There is no provision under the Constitution for a reservation to religious minorities. It was struck down by the court in Andhra Pradesh. Even Dr. B R Ambedkar had said that reservation was for castes.”
Amit Shah congratulated the Bommai government by saying, ” Reservation granted to minorities was not constitutional. There is no provision in the Constitution to give reservation based on religion”.
On March 24 the reclassification of the quota was based on an interim report submitted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.
Castes and groups falling under the 2C category now include Vokkaligas and its subcastes. Veerashaiva Lingayats and all Lingayat subsets come under the 2D category.
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