Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 8 (ANI): Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers on Tuesday staged a protest against the Karnataka government's decision to introduce a four per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts.

Speaking to ANI, Yelahanka VHP president Ratnakar Bhat termed the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government's decision to introduce four per cent reservation in public contracts as unconstitutional and demanded that no contract be given on the basis of religion.

'The Karnataka government has given four per cent of reservation to minorities in public contract, which is 100 per cent unconstitutional. We from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad are demanding that no contract should be given on a religious basis with this 4 per cent reservation. The Supreme Court has stated that reservations cannot be made on the basis of religion. This is appeasement politics.'

Anil Kumar, a Bajrang Dal party worker, slammed the Congress government in Karnataka over its decision to introduce 4 per cent reservation in public contract, saying, 'Congress is becoming like the Muslim League. Since the Karnataka government came into power, it has been completely anti-Hindu.'

The Karnataka 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.

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.

However, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has 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.'

State Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that all five to six minority communities will come under this reservation.

'BJP always does nonsense things. There is a reservation for SC/ST. Now, we have given reservations to minorities. There are five to six minority communities. All will come under this reservation, not just one community,' Ramalinga Reddy said. (ANI)