The Parliament witnessed intense protests as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju demanded the sacking of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar over controversial remarks allegedly made about amending the Constitution. Rijiju stated, “One of the senior members of the Congress party (D.K. Shivakumar), who is holding a constitutional post, has made a statement that they’re going to change the Constitution of India… he has stated that the Congress party will provide reservation to the Muslim community and for that they will change the Constitution of India. This statement cannot be taken lightly.”
The remarks sparked an uproar, with BJP members accusing Congress of undermining the Constitution, leading to the adjournment of the Parliament till 2 PM.
In his defense, Shivakumar refuted the allegations, saying, “I am a sensible, senior politician than (JP) Nadda. I have been in the Assembly since the last 36 years. I have basic common sense. I have not said that there will be any… I have said casually that there will be so many changes after various judgments. I have not said that we are going to change the Constitution. Whatever they are quoting is wrong. They are misquoting it. We are a national party, we know what the Constitution is. I will take breach of privilege on this. I will fight a case; they are misquoting me.”
He emphasized his experience and denied any intent to alter the Constitution, accusing the BJP of distorting his words.
The controversy arose from remarks attributed to him suggesting that the Congress party might amend the Constitution to provide reservations for Muslims.
The controversy ties into broader debates on reservations in India. Muslims, constituting about 14.2% of India’s population (2011 Census), are a significant minority. In Karnataka, they make up roughly 12.9% of the state’s population.
While the Constitution provides reservations for Scheduled Castes and Tribes, religion-based quotas remain contentious. The Constituent Assembly rejected similar proposals in 1946, a point Rijiju highlighted. This incident underscores ongoing tensions over reservation policies and constitutional integrity in Indian politics.
