The BJP on Saturday accused Rahul Gandhi of indulging in “competitive appeasement politics” to push the party’s Karnataka government to grant a 4 per cent quota for Muslim contractors and asked why the Leader of the Opposition was frequently visiting Vietnam.
The Siddaramaiah government on Saturday approved amendments to pave the way for a 4 per cent reservation for Muslim contractors for tenders up to ₹1 crore that was seized on by the BJP.
Karnataka already has 24 per cent reservations for SCs and STs, 19 per cent for OBCs and now the government has decided to extend the benefit to Muslim contractors, seen as a move to consolidate the party’s vote base. The BJP fielded former law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to slam the “unconstitutional decision”, claiming it had national implications and could potentially threaten national unity.
“The Karnataka government’s 4 per cent Muslim reservation has been extended under full patronage and approval of Rahul Gandhi. The Siddaramaiah government doesn’t have the courage and the political capital to take such a decision,” Prasad said at a media address, targeting Rahul. He said that it was part of Rahul’s bid to score in the “communal and vote-bank politics” race among Opposition parties.
At this point, Prasad pointedly targeted Rahul, asking about his whereabouts. “Where is Rahul Gandhi? I have heard that he’s again gone to Vietnam,” he said, going ahead to question his “frequent visits” to Vietnam.
“He (Rahul) had spent the New Year in Vietnam and now Holi too in Vietnam. I have been told that he has spent 22 days (this year) in Vietnam. He hasn’t spent so much time in his constituency Rae Bareli,” the BJP leader said, seeking clarification from Rahul for “love for Vietnam”.
“Mr Rahul Gandhi needs to explain his extraordinary fondness for Vietnam. After all he is the Leader of the Opposition and he should be available in India. We all respect Vietnam and PM Modi had also visited the country. But the frequency of his visit to Vietnam is very curious,” the BJP leader said.
BJP’s social media head, Amit Malviya, too sought clarifications from the Congress over Rahul’s foreign travels, using a media bite by Congress leader Udit Raj, saying the visits could be for many reasons — “personal, political, social, for study, meditation, reading, solitude”.
“It is important that the Congress clarifies Rahul Gandhi’s frequent foreign travels, the details of which are neither disclosed to Parliament nor made public…As Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi holds a crucial position, and his numerous clandestine trips abroad — especially while Parliament is in session — raises serious questions about propriety and national security,” Malviya said on X, attaching the Congress leader’s comments.
Focussing back on Karnataka, Prasad said there was no place for religion-based reservation in the Constitution and claimed that though the decision may look small, it could threaten national unity.
“Such decisions may seem small but they add up to have serious national implications. During the freedom struggle, small issues such as a separate university and separate electorate led to the eventual division of India,” Prasad said.
He said the Opposition’s competitive appeasement politics could lead them to provide separate queues for Muslims to buy cinema and railway tickets.