"I gave 4 % reservation quota to Muslims on scientific basis and not on religious one," says former K'taka CM Veerappa Moily

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 15 : Former Karnataka Chief Minister Veerappa Moily on Friday said that the 4 per cent reservation given to the Muslims in his regime was on a scientific basis and it was not on the basis of the religion.

While speaking to , Veerappa Moily said, "This reservation was given by me when I was CM in 1993 and it was done on basis of scientific data and not on the basis of religion. Muslims as a class were included in the backward category and it was absolutely legal. When we took the decision data was there. BJP has scrapped this reservation without any report".

"They should have made a commission or at least should have done consultations. There should have been a report and then a decision should have been taken on the basis of that but nothing has been done," he added.

Veerappa Moily further stated that Congress will restore the 4 per cent reservation quota after coming back to power in Karnataka.

"We will restore it once we come back to power. This decision was unjustified and unscientific," he said.

Congress leader also mentioned that opposition parties are in consultation with Congress to fight against BJP as a united ally.

"We are in talks with all those parties who want to fight BJP. We want fraternity among all non-NDA parties to fight against them in that way we will be in a position to establish opposition unity," he said.

He further claimed that some of the BJP leaders in Karnataka are unhappy with the leadership of the BJP.

"BJP leaders are frustrated in the state due to the dictatorship of BJP's top leadership in the state. Former deputy CM Laxman Savadi is totally angry with them and he has already quit the BJP. Now it is for him and Congress leaders to discuss the future," he said.

The Karnataka assembly elections will be held in a single phase on May 10, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 13.