Shivakumar denies making comments on changing Constitution for Muslim reservation

Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday denied making any comments regarding changing the Constitution to accommodate four per cent reservation for Muslims in the state and claimed he was misquoted. He warned of moving a breach of privilege motion.

"I am a sensible senior politician...I am in the Assembly for the past 36 years. I have basic common sense. I have never said that (regarding changing the Constituiton)," he told reporters here. "I casually said that there will be so many changes after various judgments. Whatever reservation has been given is as per the quota for the backward classes. I have never said that we will change the Constitution and all that," he addd. "Whatever they are quoting is wrong. They are misquoting me. I am categorically saying this. I will take the breach of privilege on this. I will fight this case. They are misquoting me," state Congress chief added.

Shivakumar's response came in the wake of the BJP forcing repeated adjournments in the Lok Sabha on Monday over his alleged remarks on the matter. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju had said the remarks by a person sitting on a Constitutional post to change the Constitution to facilitate four per cent reservation for Muslims was unacceptable. "How can the House watch in silence? Congress should clarify … the person should be sacked. You claim to give reservations to Muslims and resort to theatrics of carrying a photograph of Babasaheb Ambedkar and a copy of the Constitution in your pocket," Rijiju had said.