Shivakumar clarifies that the reservation proposed by the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, was for "all minority communities and Backward Classes”.
New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament faced adjournments on Monday after protests by both the treasury benches and the Opposition. The BJP was opposing the four per cent reservation in contracts announced by the Karnataka government and a purported comment by the state’s Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar about the changing of the Constitution.
Shivakumar has clarified that he never had stated that the Constitution would be amended in any manner to give religion based reservation. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said there has been much disinformation on the Karnataka government move.
Shivakumar has also clarified that the reservation proposed by the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, was for "all minority communities and Backward Classes”.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice, the second time forced by the BJP, while the Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day. The Lower House later took up the Finance Bill for discussion.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said in both Houses that the Congress only waved the Constitution but did not believe in it, else this would not have happened in a state run by the party. He added that religious reservations were not permitted in the Constitution. The Congress, meanwhile, said it would move a privilege notice against Rijiju for misleading the House on the Shivkumar issue.
In response to a media question that the Constitution does not allow for reservation on the basis of religion, Shivakumar had said: “I agree, let us wait and watch. Let us see what the courts say. I know people will approach the court. Let us wait for the good day; the good day will come. Lots of changes are there and the Constitution will be changing. There are judgments which alter the Constitution also.”
The BJP, in the Lower House, lapped up the comment and accused the Congress of being “communal.” Raising the issue, Rijiju said the remarks by a person in a constitutional post on changing the Constitution to facilitate four per cent reservation for Muslims was unacceptable. “This is a serious issue.”
“Someone holding a constitutional post says Muslims will be given reservation. How can this be tolerated when the Constitution itself has no provision for reservation on the basis of religion. The Congress should clear its position. 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. Everyone should be responsible for upholding constitutional values,” Rijiju said.
Congress member Gaurav Gogoi tried to counter Rijiju but BJP member Jagdambika Pal, who was in the Chair, did not allow it, saying he would only permit the Leader of the Opposition to speak. Rahul Gandhi was not in the House at that time.
Later, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the government seemed to have made up its mind that it did not want the House to function and found some excuse or the other to create a ruckus.
“It's been many days now. They find some excuse or the other to (create ruckus),” Gandhi-Vadra told the media in the Parliament complex after the Lok Sabha was adjourned for a second time during the day.
The Congress claimed that the BJP came up with a "completely fake" issue to get Parliament adjourned so that the very serious matter of Delhi High Court’s Justice Yashwant Varma's conduct does not get discussed.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings were also adjourned for the day as the ruling BJP members raised the issue of reservation in public contracts in Karnataka, leading to an uproar in the Upper House that finally led to the House being adjourned for the day.
When the Rajya Sabha was convened at 11 am, BJP MPs created a ruckus, alleging that a Congress leader had vowed to change the Constitution to provide reservation to Muslims. Congress president and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge asserted that no force could change the Constitution drafted by Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
BJP MPs started moving into the aisle raising slogans just as the House met for the day and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar gave parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju the floor to speak on what they were agitating about.
Leader of the House and Union minister J.P. Nadda alleged the Congress was shredding the Constitution to pieces. He said that Dr Ambedkar, while framing the Constitution, had clearly stated that “reservation will not be done on the basis of religion… This is an accepted principle of the Constitution of India", he said.
“Now, the Karnataka government has provided 4 per cent reservation in public contracts to minorities,” he said, demanding a statement from Kharge. To that, Kharge said: “No one can change the Constitution provided by Ambedkar”.
When the House reconvened at 2 pm, Nadda said: “There is no repentance. Leave aside government jobs, they have now made provision for reservation in government contracts to Muslims. The Congress has lost its balance after remaining out of power for so long."
As the ruckus continued, the deputy chairman adjourned the House for 15 minutes. After the resumption of proceedings, the deputy chairman called oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri to take up the Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill, 2024, for its passage with amendments, as passed by the Lok Sabha. The Rajya Sabha passed the bill earlier, after which the Lok Sabha passed it with some amendments.
Amid sloganeering by the Opposition, the motion was adopted by voice vote. As the uproar continued, the deputy chairman, Harivansh, adjourned the House for the day.
