Parliament LIVE: Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid ruckus over DKS’s remark
RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar calls meeting with Nadda, Kharge on holding a structured discussion on the issue of judicial accountability and the NJAC Act
Both the Houses witnessed stormy scenes after Parliament resumed on Monday (March 24)
In the Rajya Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju sought response from the Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's purported statement that the Congress will change the Constitution to provide reservation for Muslims.
Leader of the House JP Nadda reiterated Rijiju's charge adding that the Karnataka government has passed a Bill allowing 4 per cent reservation to Muslims in government contracts. Nadda said the “Congress is shredding the Constitution” and demanding a discussion on the issue and a response from Kharge.
Amid loud disruptions by Treasury MPs, Kharge said the Constitution made by Babasaheb Ambedkar can never be changed and reservations can never be ended.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 2 pm while Kharge was responding.
Ruckus in Lok Sabha
Minutes after starting its business on Monday, the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon due to protests by some opposition members who were carrying posters that invited strong disapproval from Speaker Om Birla.
When the House met at 11 am after the weekend break, opposition members, mostly Samajwadi Party MPs, started protests over certain crimes in Uttar Pradesh. The protesting SP members were carrying some posters.
The speaker strongly disapproved of the display of the posters, saying it was against the rules and hurt the dignity of the House. "You can't bring posters to the House. Please cooperate. If you show the posters in the House, I will be forced to take action against you," he said.
Birla said the Lok Sabha had in the past decided against any member carrying any kind of posters to the House.
"The House had already taken a decision against the display of posters. If you violate the decision, I will take action against you," he said.
The speaker told Rijiju to bring a motion against it. "Or else I will take action," he said and adjourned the House till 12 noon.
When the House re-convened, Rijiju said the remarks by a person sitting in a Constitutional post to change the Constitution to facilitate 4 per cent reservation for Muslims were unacceptable.
"How can the House watch in silence? Congress should clarify … the person should be sacked. You claim to give reservations to Muslims and resort to theatrics of carrying a photograph of Babasaheb Ambedkar and a copy of the Constitution in your pocket," Rijiju said.
Some Congress members tried to counter Rijiju, leading to din in the House.
BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who was in the chair, tried to restore order and later adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
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Live Updates
- 24 March 2025 3:01 PM IST
Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid ruckus over reservation for Muslims in Karnataka
Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday as the issue of reservation to Muslims in public contracts in Karnataka rocked the Upper House.
When the house reassembled for the second time in the post-lunch session after a brief adjournment, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri moved the amendments made by Lok Sabha in the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024, be taken into consideration amid slogan shouting by the Opposition.
After the motion was adopted by a voice vote, Deputy Chairman Harivansh adjourned the house for the day as uproar continued.
Earlier, when the house reassembled in the post-lunch session, after the laying of listed papers, Harivansh gave the floor to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge who rejected the allegations that a Congress leader talked about changing the Constitution.
He asserted that no comments were made by anyone from his party in Karnataka regarding changing the Constitution to provide reservation to Muslims.
Leader of House JP Nadda, however, asserted Congress was giving reservation to Muslims in public contracts.
This led to slogan shouting from both sides prompting Harivansh to adjourn the house for 15 minutes. PTI
- 24 March 2025 2:49 PM IST
Shivakumar denies making controversial remark, says he was misquoted
Senior Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday denied making any comments regarding changing the Constitution to accommodate four per cent reservation for Muslims in the state and claimed he was misquoted.
He warned of moving a breach of privilege motion.
"I am a sensible senior politician...I am in the Assembly for the past 36 years. I have basic common sense. I have never said that (regarding changing the Constitution)," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
"I casually said that there will be so many changes after various judgments. Whatever reservation has been given is as per the quota for the backward classes. I have never said that we will change the Constitution and all that," he added.
"Whatever they are quoting is wrong. They are misquoting me. I am categorically saying this. I will take the breach of privilege on this. I will fight this case. They are misquoting me," state Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's response came in the wake of the BJP forcing repeated adjournments in the Lok Sabha on Monday over his alleged remarks on the matter.
- 24 March 2025 2:29 PM IST
BJP came up with 'completely fake' issue to stall Parliament: Congress
The Congress on Monday accused the BJP of raising a "fake issue" to stall Parliament after the ruling party raised uproar in both houses over the issue of reservation for Muslims in government contracts in Karnataka.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Today the BJP came up with a completely fake issue to get Parliament adjourned so that the very serious issue of Justice Yashwant Varma's conduct does not get discussed." Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also said the government seems to have made up its mind that it does not want the House to function and finds some excuse or the other to create a ruckus.
"They seem to have made up their mind that they don't want the House to function. It's been many days now. They find some excuse or the other to (create ruckus)," she told reporters in Parliament complex.
Shivakumar, in a post on X, said "A frustrated BJP, its State and Central leadership and its Union Minister, Kiren Rijiju are resorting to brazen and blatant lies to malign the Congress Party and me by falsely attributing statements to me." "BJP and its lying Ministers should know - I was not present in the Assembly when discussion on the Bill took place. I have never stated that the Constitution will be amended in any manner to give religion based reservation," he also said.
