The &quot;constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me,&quot; Karnataka MP Ananth Kumar Hegde said Thursday in the Lok Sabha.

Hegde was apologising for his <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-who-call-themselves-secular-dont-know-about-their-parentage-mp-ananth-kumar-hegde-27714" target="_blank">remarks</a> that &quot;people who call themselves secular... are like people without parentage&quot;&nbsp;and that the BJP has come to power to &quot;change the Constitution&quot;.&nbsp;

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Congress&#39; Mallikarjun Kharge objected to Ananth Kumar Hegde&#39;s clarification, following which Hegde said, &#39;If anyone was hurt by my statements I tender an apology.&#39; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabha</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946253674971406336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-not-on-same-page-with-hedge-bjp-leaders-on-hedges-remarks-27859">Government doesn&#39;t agree with Hedge&#39;s remarks, ministers say in Parliament </a>

&quot;I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it,&quot; Hegde said.&nbsp;

&quot;Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that Constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me,&quot;&nbsp;he added.&nbsp;

Both houses of Parliament had been adjourned Wednesday over Hegde&#39;s remarks.&nbsp;

&quot;If a person has no belief in the Constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament,&quot; the Congress&#39;s Ghulam Nabi Azad had said in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

The government had since distanced itself from Hegde&#39;s remarks. The opposition had called for him to apologise or to quit.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/constitution-the-foundation-of-our-country-is-under-threat-rahul-gandhi-27928" target="_blank">Constitution, the country&#39;s foundation, is under threat: Rahul Gandhi </a>

'The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it,' he said

The "constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me," Karnataka MP Ananth Kumar Hegde said Thursday in the Lok Sabha. Hegde was apologising for his remarks that "people who call themselves secular... are like people without parentage" and that the BJP has come to power to "change the Constitution". Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge objected to Ananth Kumar Hegde's clarification, following which Hegde said, 'If anyone was hurt by my statements I tender an apology.' #LokSabha — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × Also read: Government doesn't agree with Hedge's remarks, ministers say in Parliament "I deeply respect the Constitution, the Parliament and Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The Constitution is supreme for me, there can be no question on it, as a citizen I can never go against it," Hegde said. "Regarding the deadlock in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha due to my statement, I want to assure my friends that Constitution is supreme to me, Parliament is supreme to me," he added. Both houses of Parliament had been adjourned Wednesday over Hegde's remarks. "If a person has no belief in the Constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament," the Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad had said in the Rajya Sabha. The government had since distanced itself from Hegde's remarks. The opposition had called for him to apologise or to quit. Also read: Constitution, the country's foundation, is under threat: Rahul Gandhi

Constitution is supreme: Ananth Kumar Hegde apologises in Lok Sabha

Both houses of Parliament were adjourned Wednesday after the Opposition raised an uproar over Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde&#39;s statements on secularism and changing the constitution.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/those-who-call-themselves-secular-dont-know-about-their-parentage-mp-ananth-kumar-hegde-27714" target="_blank">&#39;Those who call themselves secular don&#39;t know about their parentage,&#39; says Karnataka MP</a>

There had been pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha after the Leader of the Opposition in the house, the Congress&#39;s Ghulam Nabi Azad, brought up the issue.&nbsp;

&quot;If a person has no belief in the constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament,&quot; Azad had said.&nbsp;

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Congress&#39; Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of remarks made by Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde about the constitution, in Rajya Sabha; says &quot;if a person has no belief in the constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament&quot; <a href="https://t.co/UDaMge4yOd">pic.twitter.com/UDaMge4yOd</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/945893770981130240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till noon.&nbsp;

The Congress had in the morning given an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha over Hegde&#39;s remarks.&nbsp;

The Congress had also given a&nbsp;suspension of business notice in the Rajya Sabha under over PM Modi&rsquo;s remarks about former PM Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections</a>

The Congress has demanded an apology from the prime minister on the floor of the house.&nbsp;

The BJP has so far said there will be no apology coming.&nbsp;

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were both adjourned till 12 pm

Both houses of Parliament were adjourned Wednesday after the Opposition raised an uproar over Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde's statements on secularism and changing the constitution. Also read: 'Those who call themselves secular don't know about their parentage,' says Karnataka MP There had been pandemonium in the Rajya Sabha after the Leader of the Opposition in the house, the Congress's Ghulam Nabi Azad, brought up the issue. "If a person has no belief in the constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament," Azad had said. Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad raises the issue of remarks made by Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde about the constitution, in Rajya Sabha; says "if a person has no belief in the constitution, he has no right to be a member of Parliament" pic.twitter.com/UDaMge4yOd — ANI (@ANI) December 27, 2017 × Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned till noon. The Congress had in the morning given an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha over Hegde's remarks. The Congress had also given a suspension of business notice in the Rajya Sabha under over PM Modi’s remarks about former PM Manmohan Singh. Also read: Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections The Congress has demanded an apology from the prime minister on the floor of the house. The BJP has so far said there will be no apology coming.

Both houses of Parliament adjourned over MP's statement on secularism, changing constitution

Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up another controversy, mocking secularists with his remark that they are unaware of their parentage.

The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the southern state and sparked condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said the BJP leader does not know the parliamentary or political language.

Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel &quot;happy&quot; if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu.

&quot;I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don&#39;t know what to call those who claim themselves secular,&quot; said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. &quot;Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don&#39;t have their own identity. They don&#39;t know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals,&quot; he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town of Koppal district on Monday.

He launched the Parishad&#39;s website and women&#39;s wing. Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, &quot;I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are.&quot;

He said he respects the Constitution but it &quot;will be changed&quot; in the days to come. &quot;We are here for that and that is why we have come,&quot; he said.

Hitting out at Hegde, Siddaramaiah said the minister has not studied the Constitution, does not know the parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India.

&quot;Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge,&quot; Siddaramaiah told reporters in Hubballi.

Hegde is no stranger to controversies. A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district. He had been slapped with cases for his &quot;hate speeches&quot;, including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism.

Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanti controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate &quot;Kasab Jayanti&quot;, referring to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai&nbsp;terrorist attacks.

Hegde was criticising Siddaramaiah for state-wide celebrations to mark Tipu Sultan&#39;s birth anniversary on 10 November. The union minister was known to be vehemently opposed to the state celebrations of Tipu Jayanti since it was started in 2015 and had called the festival a &quot;shameful event glorifying a brutal killer.&quot;

Ananth Kumar Hegde added that he respects the Constitution but that it 'will be changed' in the days to come

Union minister Ananth Kumar Hegde has kicked up another controversy, mocking secularists with his remark that they are unaware of their parentage. The remark by the five-time Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka comes months ahead of the Assembly elections in the southern state and sparked condemnation from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who said the BJP leader does not know the parliamentary or political language. Hegde, 49, said a new tradition was in vogue, where people project themselves as secular, but asserted he would feel "happy" if someone claims with pride that he is a Muslim, Christian, or a Lingayat, or a Brahmin, or a Hindu. "I feel happy because he (the person) knows about his blood, but I don't know what to call those who claim themselves secular," said the minister for skill development and entrepreneurship. "Those who, without knowing about their parental blood, call themselves secular, they don't have their own identity. They don't know about their parentage, but they are intellectuals," he said at an event organised by the Brahman Yuva Parishad in Kukanur town of Koppal district on Monday. He launched the Parishad's website and women's wing. Urging people to identify with their religion or caste, Hegde said, "I will bow to you, you are aware of your blood. But if you claim to be secular, there arises a doubt about who you are." He said he respects the Constitution but it "will be changed" in the days to come. "We are here for that and that is why we have come," he said. Hitting out at Hegde, Siddaramaiah said the minister has not studied the Constitution, does not know the parliamentary or political language. He said Hegde has not learnt the social system and added that people belonging to various religions live in India. "Each and every individual in this country is an Indian, and every religion has equal right and opportunity. He does not have this basic knowledge," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Hubballi. Hegde is no stranger to controversies. A case was recently registered against him for allegedly using derogatory language against Siddaramaiah at Kittur in Belagavi district. He had been slapped with cases for his "hate speeches", including one where he allegedly equated Islam with terrorism. Commenting on the Tipu Sultan Jayanti controversy in Karnataka, Hegde was also quoted as having said at a public meeting that it is a matter of time before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah starts making people celebrate "Kasab Jayanti", referring to Ajmal Kasab, the lone surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks. Hegde was criticising Siddaramaiah for state-wide celebrations to mark Tipu Sultan's birth anniversary on 10 November. The union minister was known to be vehemently opposed to the state celebrations of Tipu Jayanti since it was started in 2015 and had called the festival a "shameful event glorifying a brutal killer."

'Those who call themselves secular don't know about their parentage,' says Karnataka MP