Surejwala slams PM Modi over remarks on minority reservation in Karnataka, says such quota existing from 1977

New Delhi [India], April 14 (ANI): Hitting out over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attack on the Congress government in Karnataka over minority reservation, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Monday said that the reservation for backward classes has been continuing in the southern state since 1977 and the backward community among Muslims is included in this category.
In a long post on X, Surjewala, who is AICC incharge of Karnataka, said PM Modi was in Haryana but attacked the Congress government in the southern state.
"The reason, the Congress government in Karnataka is the only government in the country which is depositing Rs 58,000 crores annually in the accounts of SC, ST, backward class, women and general category poor. The social justice dream of Baba Sahab Ambedkar has been fulfilled by the Congress government in Karnataka. It is not like your Nayab Singh Saini government which has backed out of all promises," he said.
The Congress leader said "wrong facts stated by PM Modi" on Ambdedkar's birth anniversary is against the "political correctness".
"The reservation system for backward classes in Karnataka has been in place since 1977. It also includes backward classes of Muslim society," he said.
Surjewala said that the reservation was classified based on the reports of four different commissions.
He also elucidated different categories of reservation for backward classes in Karnataka.
He said there have been three BJP governments in Karnataka since 1977 and asked if the classification of reservation was wrong, why was it not scrapped.
He said Modi-led BJP government had also not taken any such step. "Is it not a proof of your and BJP's opportunism," he asked.
Surjewala said in July 2023, the Congress government of Karnataka increased this limit of reservation for SC-ST community in government contracts from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore.
"In March 2025, the Congress government of Karnataka gave reservation in government contracts to SC, ST as well as backward classes and increased the price of reserved contracts from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore. Due to this reservation given to the backward class, the Muslim backward class coming under category 2B has also got 4 per cent reservation. This is based on the classification of backward class, not on the basis of religion," Surjewala said.
He said in Haryana too, blacksmiths and some other weaker sections from the Muslim community get reservations in the backward category.
"The same situation prevails in the rest of the country. So why have you and the BJP governments not rejected it till date? Raising questions and casting doubts on reservation for backward classes on Baba Saheb's birth anniversary is against Baba Saheb's concept of social justice. It is also anti-backward class, Surjewala said.
He said the "orchestrated attacks" by BJP concerning reservation for Dalits and backwards should be stopped.
In his speeches in Haryana on Monday, PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress.
In his speech in Hisar, PM Modi remarked that the Constitution provides for reservations for SC, ST, and OBC communities, but Congress turned it "into a tool for appeasement".
PM Modi referred to the Karnataka government providing reservations to Muslims in public contracts.
In his speech in Yamuna Nagar, PM Modi attacked Congress governments in Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka over "price rise". (ANI)