Karnataka Guv sends 4 pc quota Bill to President

Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has reserved the Bill pertaining to four per cent reservation to Muslims in government contract for the President’s assent, Raj Bhavan sources said on Wednesday.

According to sources, Gehlot marked the Bill as reserved for Presidential assent and sent it to the Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department. Now, the state government will send the file to the President to get her nod to the Bill that has created quite a stir in Karnataka.

The Bill was passed by both houses of the Karnataka Legislature in March amid protests by the opposition BJP.

It aims to promote economic opportunities for minorities. However, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed the Bill.

The BJP charged that the Bill was illegal as there is no provision in the Indian Constitution to give reservation based on religion. It also alleged that the Bill smacks of appeasement politics of the ruling Congress.

The party has made this Bill a key issue during its ‘Janaakrosha Yatre’ (Public anger march), which is going on across the state.