Bengaluru’s Muslim organisations have accused Karnataka’s Congress government of practising “soft Hindutva”, warning that unfulfilled pledges on reservation, hijab, hate speech and political representation have deepened discontent among a core support base that backed the party in the 2023 Assembly election.
A convention held at Town Hall in Bengaluru on Saturday brought together community groups under the Federation of Karnataka Muslim Organisations, which released an accountability report ahead of the Siddaramaiah government’s third anniversary celebrations. The gathering said the administration had not moved decisively on several assurances made before Congress returned to power.
Central to the criticism is the allegation that Congress promised firm action against organisations and individuals spreading communal hatred but has not adequately curbed processions, speeches, boycott campaigns, moral policing and cattle vigilantism that Muslim groups say continue to generate fear in parts of Karnataka. The convention argued that the government’s response has fallen short of its manifesto language on protecting communal harmony.
Reservation remains the most politically sensitive demand. Muslim organisations said the 4 per cent quota under Category 2B, scrapped by the previous BJP government in March 2023, has not been fully restored despite strong pre-poll assurances. The convention demanded restoration of the 4 per cent quota and also sought an increase to 8 per cent, linking the demand to underrepresentation in public institutions, elected bodies, local authorities and government appointments.
The hijab issue also resurfaced sharply. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had indicated in December 2023 that the ban imposed during the BJP government’s tenure would be withdrawn, but Muslim groups said the formal order had remained pending for too long. Community representatives treated the delay as evidence that symbolic assurances were not being translated into administrative decisions.
The convention also demanded repeal of the anti-conversion law and the cattle slaughter law brought in under the previous government. Muslim leaders said the cattle law had affected farmers, traders, butchers, transporters, leather workers and small eateries, while the anti-conversion law remained a source of anxiety for minorities and civil liberties groups despite Congress’s earlier opposition to it.
Electoral roll revision has become another flashpoint. The groups urged the state government to oppose the Special Intensive Revision of voter lists and to create a committee that would help Muslim citizens secure documents if names were removed from rolls. The Election Commission’s planned exercise has triggered concern among minority organisations, which fear targeted exclusions during verification.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has said the government would focus on ensuring that no foul play takes place during the revision exercise, while Congress functionaries have said booth-level agents are being trained to monitor the process. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra has described the exercise as an opportunity to remove illegal voters, making the voter-list process a fresh arena of political contestation.
The discontent has also been shaped by internal Congress tensions. Action against MLC K Abdul Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, who was removed as political secretary to the chief minister, had already stirred unease among Muslim functionaries. Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan has faced scrutiny over the Davanagere South bypoll, though he has denied allegations linked to rival candidates.
Congress leaders are trying to balance discipline, caste coalitions and minority outreach ahead of the 2028 Assembly election cycle. Senior voices within the party have cautioned that mishandling Muslim concerns could weaken the social coalition that helped Congress defeat BJP in 2023, particularly among AHINDA voters, minorities and Dalits.
