BENGALURU, 7 MARCH

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that 4 per cent of public works contracts will now be reserved for Muslims under a category called Category-II B, while presenting Budget.

Reservation will be provided in the procurement of goods and services under various government departments, corporations, and institutions for suppliers belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Category-I, Category-II A, and Category-II B, up to Rs 1 crore.

BJP Leader Amit Malviya strongly opposed the decision, saying it undermines the rights of SCs, STs, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) as laid out in the Indian Constitution by BR Ambedkar.

He added that the Congress party's actions were a part of their broader strategy to undermine the rights of these communities.

The party criticised the Budget for focusing heavily at benefiting the Muslim community, while overlooking the needs of other marginalised groups such as SCs, STs, and OBCs.

The BJP has termed it a "scam" and accused the Congress of playing vote-bank politics with the State's resources.