Bengaluru, March 24: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday that he will take legal action against the BJP for misquoting him over Muslim quota remarks.

“I will initiate a breach of privilege motion and take legal action for misquoting me. The BJP is misquoting me and distorting my words. Congress understands the Constitution and how it functions. The BJP is deliberately misrepresenting my words and I will take legal action against this breach of privilege,” Shivakumar stated.

He added that Congress will protect the Constitution and it is the party’s responsibility and birthright.

“We helped frame the Constitution, and we will safeguard it,” Shivakumar said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said he is a senior and sensible politician with more experience than Union Minister and BJP President J.P. Nadda.

“I merely mentioned in a casual manner that several changes have been made following judicial verdicts. Whatever reservations are provided are within the quota of backward classes. I never said that Congress would amend the Constitution. I only pointed out that, based on judicial rulings, some constitutional amendments have been made in the past. That is all. If the BJP is happy misinterpreting my words, they can do as they please,” Shivakumar said.

He further accused the BJP of “misleading” the country for political gains, claiming that their popularity is declining with each passing day.

“If the BJP does not take the name of the Gandhi family, they won’t be able to sleep at night. It is a political conspiracy against me and my party. However, since the matter is being discussed in Parliament, they have certain protections,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad also clarified that Shivakumar might have mistakenly used the phrase “change of Constitution” instead of “amendment of Constitution.”

He emphasised that no one can change the Constitution and that a Muslim quota does not require a constitutional amendment, as it can be implemented through existing legal provisions.

Reacting to the controversy, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra said that Shivakumar’s statement exposes the Congress party’s real intentions, which are to amend the Constitution for Muslim appeasement.

“It also reflects the lack of respect Congress leaders have for B.R. Ambedkar,” he added.

Vijayendra asserted that the Constitution clearly states that religion-based reservations cannot be provided. “However, Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are willing to go to any extent for Muslim appeasement. Now they have started to talk about changing the Constitution. This is an anti-Constitutional statement, and such a move is impossible under the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” he added.

Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, referring to the BJP registering strong objections to Shivakumar’s remark in the Rajya Sabha, said that the BJP tore into the Congress for proposing to amend the Constitution to grant reservations to Muslims.

“In 1947, the Muslim League raised the issue of Muslim representation and reservations in the Constituent Assembly, but it was rejected. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution includes no provision for religion-based reservations. The Congress is the new Muslim League,” he claimed.

On Sunday, referring to the remarks made by Shivakumar at a media conclave, Amit Malviya said that he (Shivakumar) openly declares that Congress will amend the Constitution to grant reservations to Muslims.

“Where is Rahul Gandhi, the self-proclaimed saviour of the Constitution now? The Congress has always prioritised appeasement over national interest. They didn’t hesitate to Partition the country on religious lines, and even after that, ensured that Muslims stayed back. There could be no greater betrayal,” he stated.

He added that Congress has never been fair to Hindus and they never will be.

New Delhi, March 24: The Centre has increased the salaries, allowances and pensions of Members of Parliament with effect from April 1, 2023, according to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on Monday.

The salary of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members has been raised to Rs 1.24 lakh per month from Rs 1 lakh at present, whereas the daily allowance has been raised to Rs 2,500 from Rs 2,000 earlier, the notification states.

The pension paid to former MPs has also been increased to Rs 31,000 per month from Rs 25,000 at present, as per the notification.

The additional pension for every year of service in excess of five years has been increased to Rs 2,500 from Rs 2,000 earlier, the notification states.

The revision in salaries, allowances and pensions for the MPs has been announced amid the ongoing budget session of the Parliament. The earlier revision of the salary and allowances paid to sitting and former MPs was announced in April 2018.

The base pay for an MP announced in the revision in 2018 was Rs 1,00,000 per month. The purpose of setting this amount was to bring their salary into line with the rates of inflation and the growing cost of living.

According to the 2018 revision, MPs receive an allowance of Rs 70,000 as constituency allowance to pay for the costs of keeping their offices up to date and interacting with voters in their respective districts. Apart from this, they receive Rs 60,000 per month as office allowance and Rs 2,000 as a daily allowance during Parliamentary sessions. These allowances will also be increased now.

In addition to this, MPs also get an allowance annually for phone and internet usage. They enjoy 34 free domestic flights per year for themselves and their families, and first class train travel at any time for professional and personal use. They can also claim mileage allowance when they use roads. MPs also enjoy the benefits of 50,000 free units of electricity and 4,000 kilolitres of water annually.

The government takes care of their housing and accommodation too. During their five-year term, MPs are provided with rent-free housing in New Delhi. They could get hostel rooms, apartments, or bungalows based on their seniority. Individuals who opt not to utilise the official accommodations are eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance.

Kolkata, March 24: With The Calcutta High Court on Monday directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to submit a comprehensive report on the rape and murder of the junior doctor of the R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital, the victim’s father welcomed the court’s intervention.

“The judge has asked the CBI to determine how many people were involved and take further action. They have been directed to present the case diary in court on Friday. We trust the judiciary and believe that justice will prevail,” the father said.

The parents had moved the court raising concerns raised over the slow pace of the investigation and alleged attempts to shield those responsible.

The father also criticised the state government’s inconsistent stand, saying: “Sometimes they say there is no objection, other times they raise objections. We don’t understand their position. What investigation did they conduct in the first five days? Do they even have the right to question the probe?”

The victim’s mother also expressed dissatisfaction with the probe, alleging that her daughter was tortured at the hospital for refusing to accept fake medicines, injections, and saline.

“The CBI has not been able to conduct a proper probe yet. From the beginning, we maintained that Sanjay Roy was not the only accused of my daughter’s murder. Her colleagues, VP, Sandeep Ghosh, and others are involved in this institutional murder,” she claimed.

She further alleged that the state’s Mamata Banerjee government had been obstructing the investigation since August 9, despite her daughter being a government employee who died while on duty.

“The Health Minister and the Chief Minister were responsible for identifying those involved. But from day one, there have been efforts to cover up the matter. However, we will not give up. There may be delays, but we will get justice,” she asserted.

The Supreme Court, which is hearing the case, had recently permitted parallel hearings in the case at the Calcutta High Court, following which the victim’s parents approached the court with a fresh plea questioning the CBI’s progress.