Congress gave OBC quota to Muslims in Karnataka, BJP won't allow it in Haryana: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah accuses Congress of anti-backward class stance, warns against Muslim reservation in Haryana.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday accused the Congress of being anti-backward classes and said if the party comes to power in Haryana, it will snatch the reservation for them and give it to Muslims.

Addressing a 'Backward Classes Samman Sammelan', Mr. Shah referred to the Kaka Kalekar Commission formed in the 1950s to provide reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and said the Congress did not implement its recommendations for years.

"In 1980, (the then Prime Minister) Indira Gandhi put the Mandal Commission in cold storage. In 1990, when it was accepted, Rajiv Gandhi gave a two-and-a-half-hour speech and opposed OBC reservation," the Union Minister said.

"In Karnataka, the Congress snatched reservation for backward classes and gave it to Muslims. The same will happen here if they come (to power) here," Mr. Shah said.

"I want to assure you that we will not allow Muslim reservation in Haryana," he said. He asserted that the BJP will form the government in Haryana with a full majority.

The Haryana Assembly elections are scheduled to be held later this year.

Mr. Shah said the Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini-led government recently increased the annual income limit for the creamy layer of OBCs from ₹6 lakh to ₹8 lakh.