The Congress government in Karnataka is facing growing criticism from sections of the Muslim community, with a federation of nearly 48 Muslim organisations accusing it of pursuing “soft Hindutva” and failing to deliver on key promises made to the community ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
At a convention held at Bengaluru’s Town Hall on Saturday, May 16, the Federation of Karnataka Muslim Organisations released a detailed report questioning the Siddaramaiah government’s record on minority welfare, political representation, reservations, and repeal of laws enacted during the BJP regime. The gathering, organised under the theme “What promises did the Congress government make? What has it delivered? What next?”, brought together representatives from across north and south Karnataka.
The convention adopted a three-tier charter of demands seeking immediate legal, political, and welfare measures from the state government. These included restoration and enhancement of Muslim reservation, repeal of anti-conversion and cattle slaughter laws introduced by the previous BJP government, protection against wrongful voter deletions during Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercises, and greater political representation for Muslims.
The report alleged that despite the Congress manifesto promising firm action against individuals and organisations spreading communal hatred, the government had failed to act decisively. It also said the government had not fully restored the 4% reservation for Muslims under Category 2B, and demanded that the quota be increased from 4% to 8%.
The federation further criticised the government for retaining laws brought in during the BJP regime, particularly the anti-conversion and cattle slaughter legislations. It argued that the cattle slaughter law continued to affect the livelihoods of farmers, meat traders, leather workers, and transporters. Concerns were also raised over moral policing, communal processions, economic boycott campaigns, hate crimes, and cattle vigilantism.
Political underrepresentation emerged as a key issue during the convention. According to the report, Muslims constitute nearly 13% of Karnataka’s population but account for only around 4.4% representation in the 224-member Assembly. In the 75-member Legislative Council, Muslims hold only around four seats, which the federation said was far below proportionate representation.
The report noted that since the Congress government assumed office, at least 15 opportunities had arisen through MLA-quota and Governor-nominated Legislative Council seats where the ruling party had decisive influence, but only one Muslim representative had been accommodated. It pointed out that seven Legislative Council seats under the MLA quota and five government nominations are due to fall vacant in June 2026, describing this as a significant opportunity to improve representation.
The federation demanded that the Congress nominate at least two Muslims in the upcoming Legislative Council elections in 2026. It also recommended that political parties ensure fair ticket distribution in constituencies and wards where Muslims form more than 30% of the electorate. The report suggested that the Congress should field at least 21 Muslim candidates in Assembly elections and around 60 Muslim candidates in Greater Bengaluru Area and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) wards.
The convention also urged the Karnataka government to pass a resolution opposing the SIR of electoral rolls and sought the creation of a state-level task force to prevent wrongful deletion of genuine voters. Organisers alleged that minorities in states such as Bihar and West Bengal had faced difficulties during similar revision exercises and warned against similar issues in Karnataka.
Waqf issues also figured prominently in the discussions. The federation alleged weak enforcement against encroachment of Waqf lands, under-utilisation of Waqf assets, delays in property repair and litigation, and inadequate tribunal mechanisms. It demanded stronger legal protection and better administration of Waqf properties, including a dedicated Waqf land recovery and litigation mission.
Among its medium- and long-term demands, the federation called for a roadmap to implement an annual Rs 10,000 crore allocation for minority welfare, expansion of scholarship schemes, structural reforms in representation, implementation of caste survey data, and legislation similar to the Tamil Nadu model to overcome the 50% ceiling on reservations.
Joint Convenor Suhail Maroor said the report, published in Urdu, Kannada, and English, would be distributed across districts and taluks, with representatives expected to raise these issues with MLAs, ministers, and the Chief Minister.
At the same time, some speakers cautioned the Congress against ignoring the demands, stating that the Muslim community had political “alternatives” and could support other parties in future elections if grievances remained unaddressed. The warning gained significance in the backdrop of the recent Davangere South bypoll, where the division of Muslim votes reportedly contributed to a narrow Congress victory margin.
The convention was attended by activists and representatives from Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Hubballi, Davangere, Mandya, and Hassan.