BENGALURU: KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Monday claimed that it was because of the Congress that people from the SC/ST communities were availing jobs on the basis of reservation. Referring to the BJP government hiking reservation for SC/STs in the state, Shivakumar said, “It is due to the Congress that the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are getting jobs on the basis of reservation. We had formed a committee headed by Justice Nagmohan Das on the issue of providing this reservation. The Congress had also demanded the implementation of the committee’s report. It is our party’s belief that justice should be done to these communities. We have expressed our support for this reservation.’’
He added, “He (the CM) had promised to increase reservation within 24 hours of coming to power, but he did not. Now at the last moment, he has done it under pressure. He could have done it on the day he came to power.’’
“There is still a double-engine government. Therefore, instead of an Ordinance, a special session should be convened in the state to discuss it and get the reservation approved, then send it to the Central government and amend the Constitution in the 9th Schedule and bring this reservation in the form of a record. Don’t just try to convince people with an Ordinance,” he said.