Rijiju Says Congress 'Changing' Constitution For Muslim Reservation, Kharge Denies

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha witnessed a heated exchange on Monday as the BJP accused the Congress government in Karnataka of providing Muslim reservation, and also claimed that the Congress leaders were keen to amend the Constitution for this.

The allegations, raised by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, were strongly denied by Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress President and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

As soon as the House convened on Monday, Rijiju raised concerns over statements allegedly made by senior Congress leaders in Karnataka. "A very serious matter has come to our attention," he said, adding, "A senior Congress leader holding a constitutional post has claimed he is willing to change the Constitution to grant reservation to the Muslim community."

Expressing his disapproval, Rijiju remarked, "If a common citizen had made such a statement, we could have ignored it. But when someone in a constitutional position says this, it cannot be taken lightly. These people carry Babasaheb Ambedkar's photo but talk about changing his Constitution."

He directly questioned Kharge, demanding, "How does the Congress plan to amend the Constitution for Muslim reservation? The Leader of the Opposition must clarify the party's position on this serious matter."

Leader of the House J.P. Nadda also accused the Congress of undermining the Constitution. "Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar made it clear that reservation cannot be granted on the basis of religion. This is a foundational principle. Yet, in Karnataka, the Congress government has implemented a 4 per cent reservation for minorities in public contracts," Nadda alleged.

Nadda further claimed that the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka had publicly stated that the Constitution could be amended if necessary to ensure Muslim reservation. He demanded an immediate rollback of such policies and insisted that Kharge provide a clear explanation.

In response, Kharge refuted the allegations, asserting that the Congress was committed to safeguarding the Constitution. "No one can change the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar. Who is this person claiming we intend to do so? Our 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir was aimed at protecting the Constitution," he said.

Rijiju, however, remained firm. "I want to state on record that both the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and the Congress State President have made these statements, and I am prepared to verify them," he asserted.

He also claimed that Sardar Patel had rejected a similar proposal from the Muslim League during the Constituent Assembly debates.

As tempers flared, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar intervened, urging the ruling party to verify its claims. Despite this, the heated exchanges continued, ultimately leading to the adjournment of the House's proceedings.

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