Shashi Tharoor slams Karnataka's job reservation bill as 'unconstitutional' and 'unwise'

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress Working Committee member and Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday criticised his party-ruled Karnataka's bill mandating job reservations for Kannadigas in the private sector, describing it as "unconstitutional" and "unwise".

He, however, expressed happiness over the Siddaramaiah-led government's decision to withhold the bill.

"That was not a wise decision. If every state brings such a law, it would be unconstitutional. According to the Constitution, every citizen has the right to live, work and travel freely in any part of India," Tharoor told reporters, reacting to a query.

He said the Supreme Court had rejected a similar bill when a government in Haryana tried to introduce it.

"I don't know why Karnataka thought of it, on what basis," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, adding that businesses from the state would be relocated to neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala if such a law were implemented.

Earlier this week, the Karnataka state Cabinet had cleared the "Karnataka State Employment of Local Candidates in Industries, Factories, and Other Establishments Bill, 2024" on Monday, making it compulsory for private firms to reserve jobs for Kannadigas.

As the move drew criticism from the industry, with NASSCOM cautioning that companies would move out of Karnataka, the state government put the bill on hold.

The bill was expected to be tabled in the Assembly on Thursday.