BENGALURU/DHARWAD: The Congress and BJP leaders engaged in a political slugfest over the State Government’s decision to scrap the 4% quota to Muslims after the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of a plea challenging the government’s decision to May 9.
While the Congress said the government failed to file an affidavit in court and CM Basavaraj Bommai should resign immediately, the CM hit back by accusing the Grand Old Party of lying.
Bommai said that the Supreme Court has already been informed that the government will not take any decision regarding the reservation for Muslims till the hearing is completed in the court. Reacting to the SC’s observation of the government’s decision on scrapping the 4% quota of Muslims, Bommai told reporters in Dharwad that the court has posted the hearing on May 9, but no stay order has been issued.
The Congress leaders are saying that the government gave away the quota meant for Muslims to others which were not correct, he said. There are 17 sub-sects among the Muslims. All of them are in the backward classes and get reservations about economic backwardness. They are entitled to the quota as per the decision of the government. So, there is no question of doing injustice to the Muslims as the yardsticks are not changed, he said.
AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said Bommai lost the right to continue as the CM as the government failed to file an affidavit in the court. The government can’t defend its order on the reservation and got it stayed by making a statement in the SC, said AICC Spokesperson Prof Gourav Vallabh.