NEW DELHI, March 24: Both Houses of Parliament were disrupted today as BJP MPs raised protests over the issue of reservation for a particular minority group in Karnataka’s public contracts and reported remarks made by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar regarding a constitutional change to support this quota. The commotion led to the adjournment of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha – the Rajya Sabha until 2 PM and the Lok Sabha until Noon.

In the Rajya Sabha, the uproar began as soon as the Upper House convened. Members from the treasury benches started raising their voices over the reported remarks by Shivakumar regarding the constitutional change. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of undermining the prestige of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution by proposing reservation for a specific minority group. He demanded the resignation of Shivakumar, labeling the move as disrespectful to Ambedkar’s legacy.

Leader of the House, JP Nadda, echoed Rijiju’s sentiments, accusing Congress of attacking the Constitution. He pointed out that Dr. Ambedkar was opposed to religion-based reservations. In response, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge rejected the BJP’s accusations, asserting that the Constitution, drafted by Ambedkar, could not be altered by anyone, and that reservation policies were essential and unchangeable. He further accused the BJP of trying to undermine the Constitution. Amid the heated exchanges, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 2 PM.

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha witnessed a similar uproar when it met for the day. BJP members stood up to protest the issue of reservation for the minority group in Karnataka, mirroring the protests in the Rajya Sabha. At the same time, Samajwadi Party MPs entered the House with placards protesting crime against women in Uttar Pradesh. Speaker Om Birla objected to the display of placards, calling it against the rules and decorum of the Lower House. He warned that action would be taken against the members. Despite the Speaker’s remarks, the Samajwadi Party MPs continued their protest, while BJP members also stood in protest over the reservation issue in Karnataka.

With both sides refusing to relent, Speaker Om Birla urged the agitating members to allow the House to proceed with the Question Hour, but the protests continued, leading to the adjournment of the Lok Sabha until 12 Noon.

The ongoing protest over the reservation issue in Karnataka and the remarks by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar have caused significant disruption in Parliament, highlighting the continued political tensions over the matter.