Bengaluru Muslim Convention Puts Congress Under Pressure With Sweeping Demands on Reservation, Waqf and Religious Laws

A convention organised by the Federation of Karnataka Muslim Organisations at Bengaluru’s Town Hall has ignited a fresh political controversy in Karnataka after Muslim groups placed a wide-ranging charter of demands before the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government. The gathering, attended by representatives from several districts across the state, accused the Congress administration of failing to fulfil promises made to the Muslim community despite coming to power with substantial minority backing.

The convention quickly drew attention because the demands extended far beyond routine welfare concerns and touched core political, legal, and religious issues. Leaders at the event accused the Congress government of practising “soft Hindutva” and failing to decisively dismantle policies introduced during the previous BJP administration.

Reservation Push and Political Representation at the Core of Demands

The most contentious issue raised during the convention was the demand to restore and expand reservation benefits for Muslims under Category 2B. Organisers alleged that the Congress government had not fully reinstated the earlier 4 per cent reservation and demanded that it be increased to 8 per cent. The report presented during the event also supported expanding reservations beyond the conventional 50 per cent cap.

The organisations further demanded stronger political representation for Muslims in legislative bodies, local institutions, and government appointments. According to the report released at the convention, Muslims continue to remain underrepresented despite holding electoral influence in several regions of Karnataka.

Another major demand centred on financial allocation and welfare spending. Organisers sought a separate grant of ₹1,000 crore for Muslims while alleging that the Congress government had failed to fully implement its earlier ₹10,000 crore minority welfare commitment. At the same time, the convention welcomed the existing 4 per cent reservation for minorities in government procurement contracts.

BJP-Era Laws Face Renewed Opposition

The convention strongly criticised laws introduced during the BJP government and demanded their immediate repeal. Muslim organisations called for scrapping Karnataka’s anti-conversion law and withdrawing the cattle slaughter prohibition law, arguing that these measures had adversely affected farmers, meat traders, leather workers, and transporters linked to the sector.

Leaders at the gathering also raised concerns regarding communal tensions, economic boycott campaigns, cattle vigilantism, and moral policing. The report alleged that despite promises made in the Congress manifesto to act against hate campaigns and communal division, the government had failed to take effective action.

The hijab issue once again emerged as a major flashpoint during the discussions. Organisers claimed that although protests and public pressure had weakened enforcement of the ban, the Congress government had still not formally withdrawn the order relating to hijab restrictions in educational institutions.

Waqf Protection and Electoral Issues Added to Agenda

The organisations additionally demanded stronger legal and administrative mechanisms for the protection of Waqf properties. The report highlighted concerns relating to encroachment, delayed litigation, weak enforcement, and underutilisation of Waqf assets. It called for better tribunal systems and institutional reforms to strengthen the management and protection of these properties.

The convention also backed the immediate implementation of caste census data and urged the Karnataka Assembly to pass a resolution opposing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Joint Convenor Suhail Maroor said the report, prepared in Urdu, Kannada, and English, would now be circulated across districts and taluks so that representatives could raise these issues with MLAs, ministers, and the Chief Minister.

Hares Siddiqui, another leader associated with the gathering, insisted that the programme was not directed against any political party or Muslim representative. He maintained that the purpose of the convention was to discuss unresolved community concerns and outline priorities for the future. Even so, the political implications of the gathering have already become impossible to ignore as the Congress government faces growing scrutiny over whether it will resist or accommodate these demands.