KPCC chief criticises BJP govt, dares CM to announce quota percentage

BELAGAVI: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who arrived in Bengaluru late on Thursday evening, saying, “He comes only during election and later forgets everything”.

Reacting to questions on Amit Shah’s visit to Karnataka in Belagavi on Friday, Shivakumar said, “Has his visits ensured justice to the needy? Now, the BJP is creating confusion over the reservation issue. Where is the provision to raise reservation legally? The government should announce reservation for all communities which have sought for it”.

“The government should first announce the reservation percentage. They have been misleading people by saying that the issue needs to be discussed or that it is under litigation. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should have come out and spoken directly. After the cabinet meeting, the percentage of reservation should have been announced”, he noted.

Further, Shivakumar said,  “Vokkaligas are asking for 12 per cent reservation and the Panchamasalis are asking hik in reservation reservation based on population. The government added Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under Schedule 9. The BJP is only trying to fool everyone. Our fight against this government will be continue till we get justice”.

The KPCC chief  said, “Now, nobody in BJP has the face to tell any religious or community leader that the party has secured them justice regarding reservation. The CM does not have the courage to say it. With this decision, they are doing injustice to the entire society. This government does not provide fair Constitutional justice to all communities with regard to reservation”.

To a question on the government not calling an all-party meeting before announcing the reservation, Shivakumar said, “It is good that they did not do so. They don’t trust anyone and people do not agree with them. Our government will come to power for sure and we will give justice to people. Everyone is equal and everyone should get equal benefits”.

On the Belagavi border dispute, the Congress leader said, “They have not been able to solve the issue and did not even discuss it in the Cabinet. Neither the voter ID scam nor corruption was discussed, and also North Karnataka issue. It was just wasted time”. What did they do about the Kalasa-Banduri issue for three long years? Now, when the elections are near, they are doing  all this just for political gains. They wanted to create misunderstanding between the people and the Congress. The BJP highlighted the Kalasa-Banduri issue only during election”, he added.