‘No provision in Constitution to provide reservation on basis of religion’: Amit Shah

Following the removal of four per cent OBC reservation for Muslims in Karnataka, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday lashed out at Congress and said that there is no provision in the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion.

In a cabinet meeting, held on Friday, the Karnataka government scrapped the four per cent OBC reservation for Muslims and distributed it to two dominant communities, Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

It also decided to move OBC Muslims to the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.

Shah inaugurated the ‘Garota Shaheed Smarak’ and a memorial of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. He also hoisted a 103-ft high national flag in Karnataka.

While addressing a public meeting in poll-bound Karnataka, Shah said, “Reservations provided to the minority was not as per Constitution. There is no provision in the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion.”

“Congress Government due to its polarisation politics provided reservation to the minority. Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) scrapped that reservation and provided reservations to Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities,” added Shah.

Attacking Congress’ polarised politics, Shah said that in the greed of the vote bank, Congress never commemorated the martyrs of independence and ‘Hyderabad mukti’.

“Due to Congress’ politics of polarisation, in the greed for the vote bank, they never commemorated the people who sacrificed themselves for independence and ‘Hyderabad mukti'”, said Shah.

“If Sardar Patel had not been there, Hyderabad would have never attained independence. Bidar too would not have attained independence, added Amit Shah.

Shah also highlighted the sacrifice of people in Gorata village who were allegedly killed by the army of a cruel Nizam for hosting a 2.5-ft tall Tricolour and said, “In this Gorata village, hundreds of people were killed by the army of a cruel Nizam for hoisting just a 2.5-ft tall Tricolour. Today, I proudly say that on the same land, we have hoisted a 103-ft tall Tricolour that can’t be hidden from anyone”.

While inaugurating a 20-ft tall statue of Sardar Patel and Garota Shaheed Smarak in the memory of immortal martyrs, Shah said the statue is a symbol of the significant role played by the country’s first Home Minister.

“On the same land, a memorial of those immortal martyrs has been erected. This 20-ft tall statue of Sardar Patel is a symbol of the significant role played by our first Home Minister in ousting the Nizam from Hyderabad. That is why this area, this Bidar could become a part of India,” said Shah.