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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- 24 March 2025 10:12 AM IST
Rajya Sabha chairman convenes meeting with Nadda, Kharge to discuss NJAC issue
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has convened a meeting with Leader of the House J P Nadda and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to hold a structured discussion on the issue of judicial accountability and the NJAC Act.
The chairman has written to both Nadda and Kharge for a meeting in his chamber at 11.30 am, a source said.
The meeting is with reference to the observations made by the House chairman on March 21, in response to the points raised by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh over the recovery of cash from the residence of a high court judge.
Chairman Dhankhar had on March 21 referred to the mechanism for judicial appointments after the passage of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act in 2014. The legislation was struck down by the Supreme Court later.
On March 21, Dhankhar told the Rajya Sabha, "You all will recollect the mechanism which was passed by this House with near unanimity, with no dissension, only one abstention in the Rajya Sabha, all political parties converging and going in for the initiative of the government." "I wish to find out the status of that which emanated from Indian Parliament made sacrosanct by the endorsement of 16 state assemblies in the country and signed by the Hon'ble President under article 111 of the Constitution," he had said.
