The former Chief Minister and BJP Haveri candidate Basavaraj Bommai has said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is telling lies on the abolition of reservation for Muslims, which issue is before a court of law.
Speaking to presspersons in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Bommai said that it is wrong that Mr. Siddaramaiah is telling lies that too about a matter before a court of law.
“We are firm on our decision to abolish reservation for Muslims under OBC category. But what will the Congress government do on the issue is the moot point,” he said.
Mr. Bommai clarified that when the matter came up before court, the then BJP government neither said anything on abolishing it or about continuing reservation.
“What we ordered was questioned in the Supreme Court by Siddaramaiah’s ‘disciple’ Ravivarma Kumar. The court said that it will need time for holding proceedings to which we agreed. We said in court that we will argue our case and we did not withdraw the order. We only said that we will not implement the order on reservation till further order from the court. We stand by our decision. But what will the government led by the Congress will do now is the moot point. The Congress opposed it then itself,” he said.
He categorically said that there is no religion-based reservation in the Indian Constitution and B.R. Ambedkar had made it clear. However, despite that, 23 Muslim communities have been brought under Category IIA.
“When a similar reservation was provided in Andhra Pradesh, the Supreme Court did not approve of it. But now that the Congress has found itself in a fix on the issue, it is giving a different interpretation,” he said.
