Karnataka hikes minority quota for housing schemes by 5%, BJP slams move

The Karnataka Cabinet Thursday decided to increase the reservation for minorities under various housing schemes in the state from 10% to 15%, a move the Opposition called 'unconstitutional' and alleged that the Congress government was making a 'dangerous attempt to institutionalise communal vote-bank politics'.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told reporters after the Cabinet meeting that the proposal of the Housing Department seeking to increase reservation for minority communities in housing schemes by 5% has been cleared. He said that this will be applicable for general housing schemes implemented in urban and rural areas, but not for housing schemes exclusively for the SC/ST communities.
Responding to queries on the reasons behind enhancing the reservation, he said that the government 'considered the fact that many people from minority communities did not have homes'. The Central government too has issued directions to that effect, Patil said, adding that the hike would benefit members of Muslim, Christian and Jain communities in the state.
Criticising the decision, the BJP accused the CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of converting 'welfare into a marketplace for vote-bank politics'. In a post on X, BJP's Karnataka chief B Y Vijayendra said it was a 'dangerous attempt to institutionalize communal vote-bank politics. It not only robs SCs, STs, and OBCs of their rightful opportunities, but also sends a disturbing message that merit, backwardness, and constitutional principles are secondary to religious appeasement'.
In a post on X, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said, 'This is brazen. Blatantly illegal and unconstitutional. There can be no reservation on the basis of religion. The Constitution is unambiguous on this.'
'This isn't governance, it's dangerous social engineering. Congress is determined to sow the seeds of division, polarise communities, and rip apart the social fabric of Karnataka — all for short-term political gain,' Malviya said.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi told reporters that the decision was 'unconstitutional' as it 'violated Supreme Court guidelines that reservation cannot be provided on the basis of religion'.
Defending the decision, Deputy CM D K Shivakumar said that a lot of flats built by the Housing Department in urban areas remain unoccupied. 'The minorities have shown interest in moving in to those flats. Hence, we are increasing their quota in urban housing from 10% to 15%,' he said.
On BJP's attacking the government's decision, he said, '… we are only helping the poor. What should the government do when no one is applying for these flats?' he said.

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