Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 17 (ANI): Asserting that the BJP is not against Muslims, Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka President BY Vijayendra on Monday said that the BJP will oppose Congress's Muslim 'appeasement politics.'

'BJP is not against Muslims, but we are against Congress's Muslim appeasement politics... Yesterday, I was watching Dy CM DK Shivakumar. He challenged the BJP to give plump posts to the Muslim community. He had challenged the BJP to give MLC and Rajya Sabha MPs to the Muslim community. I want to remind him that it is the BJP who appointed Dr Abdul Kalam as the President and Najma Heptulla, Justice S. Abdul Nazeer and Mohammad Arif Khan as the governors of states,' Vijayendra said addressing the reporters.

'We are very clear about the issue and we will definitely oppose Congress's Muslim appeasement politics... Where is the provision to give 4 per cent reservation in government contracts? Is this constitutional?... We are going to oppose this move,' he added.

The leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly alleged that the Congress was dividing society alomg religious lines.

'Although Babasaheb Ambedkar himself had said that providing religious-based reservation is completely against the intentions of the Constitution, the fact that the Congress government led by CM Siddaramaiah is providing 4% reservation to Muslims in contract works . This is evidence of the party's anti-constitutional mindset. Just as Nehru and Jinnah divided India for selfish reasons, today the traitorous CM Siddaramaiah and DCM DK Shivakumar in Karnataka are out to divide society on the basis of religion,' R Ashoka said in a post on X.

The BJP's reaction comes after the state cabinet approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement (KTPP) Act, which aims to provide 4 per cent reservation in tenders to Minority contractors, official sources said.

The decision was taken on March 14 in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Cabinet Hall of the Vidhan Sabha. Official sources added that the amendment will be made after the KTPP act is tabled in the ongoing assembly session.

Earlier, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar clarified that the state government's decision to provide a four per cent reservation in government contracts is not exclusive to Muslims but extends to all minority communities and backward classes.

'Four per cent reservation is not just for Muslims but all minority communities and backward classes,' he said. (ANI)