BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad. |Picture source: File Photo
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Saturday (March 15, 2025) that the Congress’s “appease politics” is the latest example, with the latest example being the “unconstitutional” decision of the Karnataka government requiring a 4% reservation to Muslims in government contracts, which will undermine national unity.
Read also | Indian group will provide quotas for Muslims by changing constitution: BJP surpasses Lalu Prasad’s remarks
At the press conference, BJP senior spokesman and former coalition minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wanted to know why Congress leader Rahul Gandhi often traveled to Vietnam. “He was in Vietnam during Holi and there in the new year,” he said.
“Voting Bank Politics”
The BJP leaders claimed that the government, led by Sidarama in Karnataka, decided to keep a 4 per cent reservation to Muslims as requested by Mr Gandhi, who wanted Congress to lead the ongoing “competitive voting banking politics” among the opposition.
“This reservation in Karnataka has been extended with full sponsorship and approval from Mr Gandhi. Mr Siddaramaiah has no courage and no political capital to announce it on its own,” Mr Prasad said, who said it would be challenged in court.
“Although such problems seem small, they have the influence of the state together… During the free movement, ‘small problems’ were raised… They demanded their own universities, their own education, and their own votes. All of this ultimately led to the division of India. The “small” problems became big in this way. He said: “In this competitive voting bank politics and Muslim apps around politics, the Congress party sets new standards every day to the threat to the state.”
“How far will this kind of app erratic politics go? Will there be limits? From now on, will Muslims have separate boundaries? Will they keep buying railway and movie tickets? … They lost a lot, but they still don’t understand, which shows how much control the voting bank politics has over them. The BJP will be the opposite (to provide 4% reservations) … because religious-based reservations are not allowed under the Indian Constitution,” he said. BJP leaders pointed out that OBCs that can be reserved for Muslim communities.
He accused Mr. Gandhi of saying during his visit to the United States that the Muslim League was a secular party, saying: “There are two streams in this country. One stream is Maulana Azad’s [first Union Education Minister]Abdul Hamid [Param Vir Chakra awardee]APJ Abdul Kalam [who became the President of India during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government]Rahim, Raskhan, Malik Muhammad Jayasi, Freedom Fighter Ashfaqulla Khan… Another one is those who practice Jinnah politics. ” The BJP leader said. He said the Narendra Modi government appointed Andaman and one of the Nicobar Islands as Abdul Hamid.
“…Their voting banking politics also weakens the voices of Muslims who are working to move the country forward, and we want to strengthen that voice,” Prasad said. He also quoted a speech by BR Ambedkar, allegedly criticizing the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the Congress party and accusing him of not talking about the welfare of the pre-determined caste.
In that particular speech, Dr Ambedkar said, “…Pandit Nehru is always suitable for Muslims. I don’t want Muslims to be ignored, but I do hope Muslims should not enjoy it at the expense of other communities…”
publishing – March 16, 2025 at 03:30 am
