BANGALORE: The BJP has warned of a mass movement against the UPA government if the Constitutional Amendment Bill envisaging reservation for minorities is not withdrawn. In a resolution adopted at the state-level convention of the backward classes organised by the party in Bangalore on Friday, party state president K S Eshwarappa cautioned the Congress that the other backward classes (OBCs) will attack them if their quota is reduced.
“The proposal to provide 4.5 per cent reservation for minorities is out of the 27 per cent quota meant for the OBCs. We will not allow this,” Eshwarappa said.
Eshwarappa added that senior Congress leaders Dr G Parameshwar, Siddaramaiah and C Motamma - all belonging to the weaker sections - would be answerable to the OBCs if their constitutional right is curtailed.
He said the BJP would submit a memorandum to the Governor urging him to prevail upon the Centre to drop the proposed bill. “If nothing happens, then we will call on the President and prime minister,” he said.
CM D V Sadananda Gowda said he would provide Rs 1,000 crore for the development of the OBCs in the budget as sought by Eshwarappa. “The BJP has never treated OBCs as vote banks as the Congress has been doing since Independence,” Gowda asserted. Former CM B S Yeddyurappa said it was the BJP government led by him which increased budgetary allocation for OBCs.