Bengaluru, Apr 16 (UNI) Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Wednesday flagged constitutional concerns over a proposed 4 per cent reservation exclusively for the Muslim community in government tenders, stating it may amount to religion-based reservation in violation of Articles 14, 15, and 16 of the Constitution.
In a detailed note, the Governor said such a provision "may be construed as reservation for the community based on religion," and accordingly reserved the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025, for the consideration of President Droupadi Murmu.
The Bill, passed by both Houses of the State Legislature and submitted for gubernatorial assent on April 1, seeks to amend Section 6 of the 1999 Act by raising the tender limit from ₹1 crore to ₹2 crore and mandating 4 per cent of such tenders be reserved for contractors from Category-II(B) of the Backward Classes — a classification that includes only Muslims, as per a 1994 Government Order.