Sat Mar 15 22:00:50 UTC 2025: ## BJP Condemns Karnataka’s Muslim Reservation as “Appeasement Politics”
**NEW DELHI, March 16, 2025** – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized the Karnataka government’s decision to provide a 4% reservation for Muslims in government contracts, denouncing it as “unconstitutional appeasement politics” that undermines national unity. Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad held a press conference to express the party’s opposition.
Prasad questioned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent visits to Vietnam, suggesting they were timed to coincide with Holi and New Year’s celebrations. He accused Gandhi of orchestrating the Karnataka reservation move to gain a political advantage, claiming Siddaramaiah lacked the courage to make the decision independently.
The BJP spokesperson warned that such seemingly minor instances of “competitive vote bank politics” and “Muslim appeasement” cumulatively pose a significant threat to national unity, drawing parallels to events leading up to the partition of India. He questioned the limits of this policy, posing hypothetical scenarios like separate lines for Muslims or reservations for purchasing movie tickets.
Prasad further criticized Gandhi’s purported statement describing the Muslim League as a secular party, drawing a distinction between those who followed Maulana Azad’s path of national integration and those adhering to Jinnah’s divisive politics. He highlighted the Modi government’s naming of an Andaman and Nicobar island after Abdul Hamid as a demonstration of their commitment to inclusivity.
The BJP leader also cited a speech by B.R. Ambedkar, alleging that it criticized Jawaharlal Nehru for favoring Muslims at the expense of other communities. The BJP maintains that the Karnataka reservation is unconstitutional and will challenge it in court, suggesting that reservations should be extended to OBCs within the Muslim community instead. The party vowed to actively oppose the measure.
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