Priyanka Tiwari
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Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state president DK Shivakumar on Monday clarified that his recent remarks about the Constitution changing were misinterpreted. He explained that his statement referred to past constitutional changes in response to court judgments, not in relation to the reservation for Muslims in government contracts.
Shivakumar’s Statement and Clarification
"Let us see what comes out of court... The Constitution will be changing, there are judgments which alter the Constitution," Shivakumar had said earlier.
However, responding to a political backlash, he clarified:
“I’ve been in the Assembly for 36 years. I never said the Constitution would be changed for reservations. I was referring to historical amendments resulting from judicial rulings, not this issue. The BJP is misquoting me.”
#WATCH | Bengaluru: Amid the row over his remarks on Constitution, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar says, "I am a sensible, senior politician, than Mr Nadda. I have been in the Assembly since the last 36 years. I have a basic common sense. I have said casually that there will be… pic.twitter.com/LSctB7qf2T
— ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2025
BJP Reacts, Calls It an Attempt to Alter Constitution
BJP president JP Nadda sharply criticized Shivakumar in the Rajya Sabha, stating:
“Congress is promoting religion-based reservations, which violates the principles laid down by Dr. BR Ambedkar. The Deputy CM openly said the Constitution will be changed to fulfill this divisive agenda.”
BJP leaders have called the move part of Congress’s vote-bank politics, accusing the party of threatening India’s unity.
Congress Counters with Legal and Political Pushback
Shivakumar responded strongly, saying:
“I’m senior to Mr. Nadda politically. Congress is the party that gave this country its Constitution. I will file a motion for breach of privilege against these misrepresentations.”
The Congress maintains that it is committed to protecting the Constitution, often accusing the BJP of planning to alter it by seeking a supermajority. The BJP has consistently denied such claims.
Escalation Ahead of Elections
The row has intensified ahead of upcoming elections, with BJP leaders such as Amit Malviya and Shehzad Poonawalla alleging that Congress is ready to change the Constitution for religious-based reservations. They demanded an explanation from Rahul Gandhi, who has long framed himself as the defender of the Constitution.
“Congress is the biggest threat to the Constitution through its appeasement politics,” Poonawalla said.
Read More: Rahul Gandhi Alleges He Is Being Denied Right to Speak in Lok Sabha
