Karnataka: Cabinet decides to hike minority quota in housing by 5%, BJP threatens stir

The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to increase the minority quota in government’s housing schemes by 5% weeks after passing a bill to create a 4% Muslim quota in government’s civil contracts.

The Cabinet, chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah, decided to extend the benefit in all housing schemes implemented by the Housing department in urban and rural areas. The government currently has a quota of 10% which will now go up to 15%.

Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, BJP state president BY Vijayendra and Opposition leader in the assembly R Ashoka slammed the government decision. The additional quota will eat into the number of houses meant for SC/ST and OBC community members, the union minister said and added that the BJP would decide on the future course of action.


The state government, however, maintained that its decision has been in response to a direction from the union government which has pointed out that the minority communities were facing a shortage of housing. “Our government has increased the quota keeping the interests of the homeless in these communities and to uphold social justice,” an official statement from the CM’s office said.

R Ashoka said the government was seeking to prioritise Muslims even among the poor in the allotment of houses. Vijayendra called the decision part of the ruling party’s appeasement politics and said it continued to give religion-based reservations though the Constitution has strictly banned it. He warned that the BJP would protest the move.

The decision came at a time the ruling Congress is facing the wrath of the Muslim community leaders in Dakshina Kannada district, some of whom even resigned from the Congress protesting lack of protection to community members from the government as the district reeled under communal violence.

In March, the legislature passed a bill giving a 4% quota in government’s civil contracts to Muslims after Siddaramaiah came under intense pressure from the party’s Muslim leaders to do something for the community. Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, however, has sent the Bill favouring a Presidential assent after the BJP petitioned him to reject the Bill.

The Governor’s action in April came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked Karnataka’s Bill, calling it unconstitutional. Speaking at Haryana, the PM came down heavily on the Congress regime in Karnataka for seeking to create the quota for Muslims. Though Dr BR Ambedkar’s Constitution does not provide for reservation based on religion, the Congress government in Karnataka has snatched the rights of SC, ST, OBC and given reservation based on religion in tenders, he said.

Siddaramaiah, sources said, has been under pressure from the party’s Muslim leaders and MLAs to do more for their community. They are said to have told the CM that the Congress was able to win 136 seats in the assembly polls in May 2023 because of the backing it got from Muslim voters. The group also has a grouse that the community has just two ministers (excluding the speaker) with light portfolios, and it deserves better. The victory of Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan from Shiggaon, a constituency held earlier by former CM Basavaraj Bommai, added heft to their demands.