25 March,2025 12:33 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, on Monday. PIC/PTI
Both the Houses of the Parliament witnessed adjournments on Monday as treasury benches sought to corner the Congress over the purported remarks of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar relating to the Constitution, reported news agency ANI. The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attack was led by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Union Health Minister JP Nadda.
The Congress also hit back with Jairam Ramesh submitting a breach of privilege notice against Rijiju in Rajya Sabha.
Earlier in the day, ruckus erupted in Rajya Sabha over Shivakumar's remarks, with BJP leaders alleging that he had talked of "changing the Constitution".
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister sought clarification from Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, regarding the Congress' position on reservation for Muslims, ANI reported.
He said Shivakumar's remarks were "extremely serious."
Responding to the minister's attack, Kharge said that his party took up the Bharat Jodo Yatra across the country to protect the Constitution.
Rijiju demands Shivakumar's resignation
"Nobody can change the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Nobody can finish the reservation. To protect it, we did the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. They (points at NDA MPs) break India," said the Congress leader.
According to ANI, Rijiju also demanded resignation of Shivakumar. He said the constitution framers were against religion-based reservation.
"If you have guts, take resignation of Deputy CM today itself," Rijiju said.
Nadda, who is the Leader of the Upper House, also slammed the Congress over Shivakumar's remarks, and said, "I am saying this with a lot of sadness, the way Congress claims to be a protector of the Constitution but the way they have tried to destroy it. Dr B R Ambedkar had himself said, that reservation would not be done on the basis of the Constitution. But in Karnataka, there is a talk of giving 4 per cent reservation in contract."
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the remarks should be substantiated.
"The statement to which reference has been made by the Parliamentary Affairs minister, that a functionary of the political party has made a statement...please authenticate and put it on the table of the house," said the Vice-President.
Never stated that we would change the Constitution: Shivakumar
"I will authenticate, The Karnataka government has passed a bill granting 4 per cent of reservation to minorities in public contracts, apart from that, the Deputy Chief Minister has also given a statement...this is a very serious matter, and these people call themselves the protectors of the Constitution," Nadda further stated.
Rijiju also raised the issue in Lok Sabha. .
Meanwhile, Shivakumar slammed the BJP over its protest on his purported remarks relating to the Constitution and said the party is trying to twist his remarks and he is consulting his legal team on further action.
"I don't want to comment much on it. There is no hide and seek in this issue. On quota, there are several judgments which have come, and after every judgment, amendments have been made to the Constitution; there is nothing else. So they (BJP) are trying to twist it. They don't have any issues. I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has moved privilege motion. I am also consulting legal experts," the Karnataka Deputy CM told ANI.
Earlier, while speaking to reporters at his residence, Shivakaumar stated that he "never stated we would change the Constitution".
"The BJP is carrying out propaganda. I will fight it legally," he said.
BJP misleading people, says Karnataka Deputy CM
Replying to BJP's criticism of his remarks to a private TV channel on changing the Constitution, Shivakumar said the saffron party is twisting his statement.
"I have been in public life for 36 years and have basic common sense. But the BJP is misleading people. My name is being dragged into BJP's disinformation campaign," he said.
"All I said was that there is a precedent for changing the Constitution based on the Court's orders. I have never said we will change the Constitution. The Congress is a national party that brought the Constitution in the first place. We understand its importance better than others. The Centre has failed the people in the recent Budget and is now trying to rake up other issues. This is part of the BJP's continued political conspiracy," he added.
Shivakumar also criticised BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya's post on X. "The BJP has always tried to take the country down the wrong path. Let them show proof of me saying the Constitution needs to be changed. This is cheap politics from the BJP. They don't get sleep if they don't take the names of Sonia Gandhi, her family, and the Congress party. The BJP is an expert in falsifying information and carrying out propaganda campaigns," said Shivakumar.
"I will take legal action against those twisting my statements. It would be difficult if these statements were made within the House, but I will surely pursue legal action if they were made outside Parliament," he added.
Asked if the media had misrepresented his statement, he said, "there is nothing wrong with the media's reporting. The BJP has twisted my statements and is unnecessarily dragging my name into this."
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday submitted a breach of privilege notice to Dhankar against Rijiju for "misleading" the House over Shivakumar's reported remarks on the Constitution.
"On March 24, 2025, shortly after the House met, Kiren Rijiju had blatantly misled the House by attributing some false statements purportedly made by DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka," Jairam Ramesh said in his notice.
He sought breach of privilege proceedings against Rijiju.
"DK Shivakumar has since refuted the statements attributed to him to be false and derogatory in nature. Hence, the remarks made by Kiren Rijiju are false and misleading which constitute a breach of privilege and contempt of the House. It is well established that it is a breach of privilege and contempt of the House to make false and misleading statements in the House. In view of the foregoing, I request that privilege proceedings may be initiated against Kiren Rijiju in the matter," Ramesh said.
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(With ANI inputs)
