——-S. A. Hemanth——–
Bengaluru, March 26: The decision of the state BJP government to scrap 4 per cent reservation to the minorities has one motive to both the Congress and BJP but with two different approaches.
While slamming the BJP for its decision to scrap four percent reservation to minorities, the Congress party, however, sees it ‘as a silver-lining’ and ‘god-sent opportunity’ to endear itself to the Muslim minorities and consolidate them in its favour.
The BJP too has something similar calculations but with a totally different approach. Having scrapped that 4 per cent reservation that was meant for Muslim minorities, the BJP government has equally distributed the four per cent to Lingyaths (2 percent) ad Vokkaligas (2 per cent).
By doing so, the BJP has sought to placate both the Lingayaths, especially the Panchamsalis who were on the war-path as well as the Vokkaligas who were not too happy with the Basavaraj Bommai-led government.
BJP has brushed aside the criticism that it is anti-Muslim by saying that the minorities have been bracketed under Backward Classes and still get reservational benefits under the BC quota. However, the Congress has been quick to describe the BJP as anti-minority and accused the saffron party of pursuing the “RSS agenda”
Over and above this criticism, the Congress leadership, however, are of the view that this decision of the BJP government has come in handy for the Grand Old Party (GoP) to mobilise the minorities in its favour by portraying BJP as villain. Congress need to garner minority votes en-mass given the fact that the JDS too is trying to woo the minorities with C.M. Ibrahim, an erudite and vocal speaker, at the helm of affairs of the JDS.
Shrewd politican D. K. Shivakumar is, he, however, has instructed the minority leaders not to “speak against the Lingayaths and Vokkaligas” in their enthusiasm to mobilise the minorities. “We need to strike a balance. Our commitment towards minorities should not be construed as our opposition to the majority communities,” Shivakumar has said.
Ultimately, the one motive is to mobilise their support base by both the parties desperate for power.
EOM.
