Bengaluru, March 7 -- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday confirmed that 4 per cent of public works contracts will now be reserved for Muslims under a category called Category-II B, while presenting Karnataka government's Budget.

Reservation will be provided in the procurement of goods and services under various government departments, corporations, and institutions for suppliers belonging to SC, ST, Category-I, Category-II A, and Category-II B, up to Rs 1 crore, in which Category-II B refers to Muslims.

BJP leader Amit Malviya strongly opposed the decision, saying it undermines the rights of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as laid out in the Indian Constitution by Ambedkar. Malviya ar...