Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addresses a press conference at BJP headquarters, in Lucknow, on Wednesday.
Credit: PTI Photo
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday alleged that the Congress' attempt to give reservations to Muslims from the OBC quota in Karnataka was part of its agenda to push the country towards "Islamisation and division".
The firebrand BJP leader claimed that the Congress wanted to deprive the people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other backward classes of their constitutional rights.
According to the data submitted by the Karnataka Backward Classes Welfare Department, all castes and communities within the Muslim religion have been enlisted as socially and educationally backward classes under Category 2B in the State List of Backward Classes.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have targeted the Congress over the issue, alleging it wanted to transfer the reservation share of OBC to the Muslim community, but the Congress has rejected their claim and accused them of spreading "lies".
Asked about the quota to Muslims issue, Adityanath said, 'This is very unfortunate and is part of its (Congress) agenda to push the country towards Islamisation and division'.
He said that after the UPA government came to power, Congress made such vile attempts at that time too.
“Previously, during the UPA government, a committee headed by Justice Ranganath Mishra was formed. The Ranganath Committee in its report recommended that 6 per cent out of the 27 per cent reservation meant for the OBC category should be given to Muslims.
"Additionally, the committee's report proposed that a specific segment of Muslims, those who have converted, should be included in the Dalit category and provided with the same benefits as Dalits," he said.
He highlighted that the BJP had launched a massive movement against the move at that time. "The reports of the Justice Ranganath Mishra Committee or Sachar Committee smack of Congress's evil intention to encroach upon the rights of OBCs, SCs, and STs," he alleged.
He urged the people to be vigilant against such moves. 'Judicious use of democratic rights is needed to foil the conspiracies of the Congress and INDI alliance,' he said.
Adityanath also claimed that the Congress was contemplating imposing an 'Inheritance Tax' to 'forcibly seize the properties of common people and then give it to infiltrators from across borders, who have no connection with India'.
"The party, which has looted the country’s resources for 60-65 years, wants to rob the SC/ST, the OBC and the poor of their rights," he alleged.
“The mentality of Congress towards the country and the general public during the UPA government was once again exposed yesterday.
"There were indications of all this in the Congress manifesto as well. What Sam Pitroda said yesterday had been repeatedly advocated by the then minister P Chidambaram in 2011, 2012, and 2013,” Adityanath said.
A political row erupted after Pitroda, the president of the Indian Overseas Congress, talked about the inheritance tax law in the United States while referring to the redistribution of wealth issue.
The Congress distanced itself from Pitroda's remark, saying its sensationalisation was an attempt at diverting attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'malicious' poll campaign.
Adityanath claimed Congress’ 'vote bank politics' was responsible for the large-scale infiltrations into the North East, Assam, and other parts of the country.
"They (Congress) have always politicised issues at the expense of the nation. Inheritance tax is also part of the same agenda," he added.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that it was good that people bid farewell to the Congress in 2014, 'otherwise it would have implemented the Inheritance Tax long back, robbing people of their properties'.
On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended his government on the Muslim reservation issue.
“Where has the Congress stated that it would take away reservations from backward classes and SC/STs to give them to Muslims? Which state government under the Congress has implemented such a policy?' he said.
The senior Congress leader also justified the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims under the backward classes category in Karnataka.
It’s true that in Karnataka, Muslims have been included in the ‘2B category’ for backward classes, Siddaramaiah said, pointing out that “this is not something done now”.
It has been based on the reports of the Backward Classes Commissions starting from the one headed by L G Havanur in 1974, he said, this reservation has been in place for the past three decades.
At the fag end of its term, the previous BJP government in Karnataka ordered in April 2023 the scrapping of four per cent reservation for Muslims under the 2B category. The four per cent was to be distributed among Vokkaligas in the 2C category and Lingayats in the 2D category.
However, the order was challenged in the Supreme Court.