Don't Want Votes Of Those Who Have Pakistani Mindset: CT Ravi On Eshwarappa's 'Muslim Vote' Comment

While addressing a Veerashaiva-Lingayat meeting in Shivamogga on Monday, Eshwarappa said, "We do not want even a single Muslim vote here. Nationalist Muslims will, however, vote for the BJP."

BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi

Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary CT Ravi on Wednesday said that his party does not want votes from those who have a “Pakistani mindset” adding some Muslims who support Pakistan and have divisive ideology vote for Congress and Janata Dal. Ravi’s remark came after senior party leader KS Eshwarappa said they did not want “even a single Muslim vote” while speaking on the issue of religious conversion. 

“There are many patriots among Muslims who vote for BJP. But some of them who support Pakistan and have a divisive ideology vote for Congress and Janata Dal,” said Ravi. 

“We don't want the votes of those who have a Pakistani mindset,” he added. 

“People like Abdul Kalam and Shishunala Sharifa vote for BJP. We bring government schemes keeping 'sabka saath, sabka vikas' in mind, not caste,” said the BJP leader. 

While addressing a Veerashaiva-Lingayat meeting in Shivamogga on Monday, Eshwarappa said, "We do not want even a single Muslim vote here. Nationalist Muslims will, however, vote for the BJP."

Earlier last month, the Karnataka government scrapped the four per cent OBC reservation for Muslims and allotted it to the dominant communities, Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas. It also decided to move OBC Muslims to the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category.

Speaking on the issue, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the reservations provided to the minorities in the state were not as per the provisions of the constitution.

"Reservations provided to the minority were not as per the Constitution. There is no provision in the Constitution to provide reservation on the basis of religion," Amit Shah said. 

"The Congress Government due to its polarisation politics provided reservation to the minority. BJP scrapped that reservation and provided reservations to Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities," he added.