Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje on Friday urged Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to withhold consent to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which grants a 4% reservation to Muslims in public contracts. In a letter to the Governor, Karandlaje termed the Bill “unconstitutional, discriminatory, and against the ethos of the Indian Constitution,” arguing that reservation based on religion violates Articles 14 (equality), 15 (non-discrimination), and 16 (equal opportunity in public employment).


In a Ietter, she stated, “The Hon’ble Supreme Court has consistently ruled that affirmative action must be based on social and educational backwardness, not religious identity. The proposed amendment is an open circumvention of constitutional safeguards and is liable to be struck down by the judiciary.”






Accusing the Karnataka government of appeasement politics, Karandlaje argued that the amendment “undermines the secular fabric of our nation” and warned that it could invite legal challenges. 


“This proposed reservation is not aimed at empowering the underprivileged but is a blatant attempt at appeasement politics for electoral gains. Such divisive policies weaken the secular fabric of the country and set a dangerous precedent, leading to social disharmony and policy corruption. The government should focus on uplifting all backward communities based on socio-economic criteria rather than religion,” she wrote.






She called for a thorough legal review before granting assent to the Bill.


Karnataka Assembly Passes Bill Amid BJP Protest


Despite opposition, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the Bill, which provides a 4% reservation for Muslims under Category 2B of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) in civil works contracts up to ₹2 crore and goods/services procurement contracts up to ₹1 crore. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had announced the proposal in his 2025-26 Budget, presented on March 7.


The BJP strongly opposed the move, with MLAs storming the Speaker’s podium and throwing papers at Speaker U T Khader. Following his directions, Marshals evicted the MLAs, who had attempted to surround the Speaker’s chair. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka termed the Bill “unconstitutional” and vowed to challenge it in court.


The Karnataka government has defended the amendment, stating that it aims to address unemployment among backward classes and encourage their participation in public procurement. Currently, Karnataka provides reservations in civil works contracts for SCs/STs at 24%, OBC Category-1: 4%, and OBC Category-2A: 15%.


The new amendment includes Muslims under Category-2B with a 4% reservation. Additionally, the Bill provides reservations in goods and services procurement (excluding construction works) as follows:
 • SCs: 17.5%
 • STs: 6.95%
 • OBC Category-1: 4%
 • OBC Category-2A: 15%
 • OBC Category-2B (Muslims): 4%


The Bill states that no extra expenditure will be incurred in its implementation. With the Bill now awaiting the Governor’s approval, the controversy over its constitutional validity is expected to escalate, with the BJP preparing to challenge it at multiple levels.


If the Governor chooses to sit on the bill, the Karnataka Government would likely move court as seen in the case of Tamil Nadu. In February, the Supreme Court had opined that Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi could not simply sit over the bills based on the perception of repugnancy with the Union law, without communicating his opinion.


"If you are of the view that this bill suffers from repugnancy to the Central law, then you have to give a message. The Governor has to say something like I am referring this bill for the consideration of the President. Otherwise, there will be an impasse. How do you expect the state government to overcome repugnancy? If you create the impasse, you have to clear the impasse. But, who will clear the impasse? There cannot be an absolute deadlock," it observed, as quoted by PTI.