Minority quota politics: Karnataka's housing move sparks row

The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in Karnataka is facing flak for its latest decision to raise the minority quota in state housing schemes from 10% to 15%.

The move, approved in a cabinet meeting on Thursday, follows recent criticism over the state's caste census and has triggered a fresh political firestorm. The BJP accused the Congress of indulging in "appeasement politics" for electoral gain. "Wherever Congress is in power, it brings divisive, religion-based reservation policies," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told ET. "This is not welfare, it's vote bank politics." State housing minister HK Patil defended the decision, stating that minority communities have a larger share of homeless families. "The Centre itself has flagged this issue. Our move is for social justice, not politics," he said.

The Karnataka BJP is now preparing to launch statewide protests against what it describes as yet another example of "selective governance" by the Congress.