Bengaluru, Oct 13 — Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee (CWC) Member Siddaramaiah on Tuesday criticised the previous BJP government for implementing an increase in reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) without adequate legal and constitutional safeguards, following the Karnataka High Court’s decision to quash the enhanced quota.
In a statement, Siddaramaiah said the High Court’s verdict had dealt a blow to the aspirations of oppressed communities that had been denied equal opportunities for generations. While expressing respect for the court’s judgment, he condemned the BJP government for increasing the reservation quota in haste without adequate preparation.
Despite being aware of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Indra Sawhney case that total reservation should not exceed the 50 per cent ceiling, the BJP government increased the reservation for SCs from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and for STs from three per cent to seven per cent ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, he said.
“Why was the increase implemented in haste without providing adequate constitutional protection? Was electoral gain more important to the BJP than upholding social justice?” Siddaramaiah asked.
He said the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee, constituted during the Congress government’s tenure, had provided the necessary foundation for increasing the reservation quota. He added that the demand for enhanced reservation had been fulfilled not because of the political generosity of any party, but as a result of decades of struggle by communities deprived of opportunities.
Siddaramaiah also criticised the BJP-led Union government for rejecting Karnataka’s request to include the enhanced reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, citing the pendency of the case before the court. He said the Centre must now clarify what constitutional remedy it proposed to protect the increased reservation.
Stressing the need to ensure adequate representation for minorities, backward classes and Dalits, collectively referred to as AHINDA groups in Karnataka’s political discourse, Siddaramaiah said there could be no compromise on their access to reservation benefits and their integration into the social mainstream.
He reiterated his belief that political democracy remained incomplete without social and economic equality.
“Reservation is not charity. It is a constitutional instrument to correct historical injustices and ensure appropriate representation for oppressed sections of society,” he said.
Siddaramaiah urged the Union government not to remain bound by the 50 per cent reservation ceiling, but to increase reservation in proportion to the population and provide constitutional protection by including the enhanced quota in the Ninth Schedule.
He also called on the Karnataka government to take appropriate legal steps to retain the increased reservation at the same levels and safeguard the interests of students and job aspirants who could be affected by the court’s order.
The struggle for social justice should not be restricted to electoral promises and campaign-time declarations, he said, adding that it required political commitment, constitutional responsibility and lasting constitutional reforms.
“Our objective is not merely to promise representation, but to secure adequate representation and equal opportunities for the next generation to lead a life of dignity,” Siddaramaiah said.
Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday criticised the Congress government for failing to protect the enhanced reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), following the Karnataka High Court’s decision to quash the quota hike.
In a statement, Vijayendra said it was deeply disappointing that the government’s failure to fight committedly for the interests of the Scheduled Communities had resulted in a setback to their right to reservation as a measure of social justice.
He alleged that Congress had never formulated a long-term vision for the welfare of Scheduled Communities. He said the decision to increase reservation in proportion to population had been taken by the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai.
Vijayendra said the BJP government had increased the reservation for SCs by two percentage points and for STs by four percentage points, but the present Congress government had failed to protect the enhanced quota in court.
Describing the outcome as unfortunate, he said the Congress government had failed not only to provide additional benefits but also to safeguard the reservation benefits that had already been granted.
He urged the state government to act immediately to seek a stay on the High Court’s judgment and take steps to protect the enhanced reservation.
“If the government continues to show negligence on this issue, we will be compelled to take up the struggle on behalf of the Scheduled Communities,” Vijayendra warned.