| Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned until 2 PM today amid heated protests sparked by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's comments regarding potential "constitution changes" related to the state's decision to allocate a four percent quota to Muslims in government contracts.
The controversy stems from the Karnataka Assembly's passage of a bill on Friday providing four percent reservation for Muslims in public contracts. This amendment reserves four percent of civil works contracts up to Rs 2 crore and goods/services contracts up to Rs 1 crore for individuals belonging to Category 2B (Muslims) of the Other Backward Classes (OBC).
Members of the ruling BJP disrupted proceedings in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister calling for Shivakumar's dismissal. The BJP members voiced their objections, leading to repeated adjournments in both houses.
Shivakumar's remarks, made during a television channel event while defending the Muslim quota in Karnataka, ignited the controversy. BJP leaders accused the Congress government in Karnataka of engaging in appeasement politics.
Congress leaders responded by criticizing the BJP's actions, stating that forcing an adjournment over a state issue was unprecedented. They alleged that the disruptions were an attempt to divert attention from the ongoing inquiry into the recovery of burnt cash piles from the residence of Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also voiced his disapproval of the disruptions, asserting that Parliament was being rendered ineffective.
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