New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Monday commenced its proceedings amid loud protests from the Treasury Benches demanding an explanation from Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge regarding the party’s position on reservations for Muslims. There was also an uproar by BJP MPs over a four per cent reservation for minorities in Karnataka. Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm following the uproar.
This comes after Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, at an event on Sunday, talked about the bill that provided the reservation to minorities and other backward classes in public contracts in the state. At the event, he purportedly said the “constitution will be changing.”
This triggered the ruckus in Rajya Sabha. LoP and Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Nobody can change the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Nobody can finish the reservation. To protect it, we did Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. They (points at NDA MPs) break India…”
#WATCH | As ruckus breaks out in Rajya Sabha over Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's reported remarks on Constitution, LoP and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge says, "…Nobody can change the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Nobody can finish the reservation. To… pic.twitter.com/JbKXkOHL2U
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2025
Slamming Shivakumar’s comment, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said “…Raising the issue of Muslim reservation, Congress has sullied the prestige of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. If you have guts, demand the resignation of Deputy CM today itself.”
The BJP criticised DK Shivakumar over his alleged remark, accusing the Congress party of attempting to “partition the country again.”
BJP leader Sambit Patra, while speaking to ANI, claimed that the Congress was trying introduce reservations for Muslims in the Constitution, a move, according to him, that was opposed by Dr BR Ambedkar.
#WATCH | On Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's reported remarks on Constitution, BJP MP Sambit Patra says, "Congress' true face is revealed today. Their nature has been revealed today. DK Shivakumar is not an ordinary leader. He is close to Gandhi family, to Rahul Gandhi…Nehru… pic.twitter.com/bL95clhXGZ
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2025
“DK Shivakumar is not an ordinary leader. He is close to the Gandhi family, to Rahul Gandhi. Nehru ji partitioned the nation to keep his ambition alive. To become the PM, he divided Maa Bharti into two on the basis of religion… Today, the Gandhi family is doing the same,” Patra said.
However, DK Shivakumar dismissed the BJP’s allegations and accused the BJP of misquoting him to mislead the public.
