 "Amit Shah's Ambedkar remark sparks chaos, Congress demands resignation")
Parliament witnessed intense disruptions on Wednesday as Congress launched a massive protest against Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his controversial remarks about Dr BR Ambedkar during his address to the Rajya Sabha. The Opposition demanded Shah's resignation and an apology, accusing him of insulting the architect of India’s Constitution. Meanwhile, the BJP defended Shah, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated.
The protest saw Congress MPs and other opposition members holding photographs of BR Ambedkar and chanting slogans such as ‘Jai Bhim’ and ‘Amit Shah maafi maango’ (Amit Shah should apologise) inside Parliament. The unrest was not limited to Delhi, with Congress leaders staging protests outside Raj Bhavans in various states.
Amit Shah's remarks spark controversy
The controversy erupted when Amit Shah, speaking during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, said: "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata" (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven).
Congress accuses Shah of insulting BR Ambedkar
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned Shah’s remark, calling it an “insult” to Dr Ambedkar. He said Shah’s comment implied that invoking Ambedkar’s name was a sin. Kharge also alleged that he was denied the opportunity to respond during the debate.
“Amit Shah’s words are deeply disrespectful to Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Constitution he crafted,” Kharge said.
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Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi echoed Kharge’s criticism, stating, “Those who follow Manusmriti will always be at odds with Ambedkar.”
Gandhi futher accused the BJP of ideologically opposing Ambedkar’s vision for equality and justice.
Kejriwal joins the criticism
The protests gained momentum as AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined the criticism. Kejriwal slammed the BJP for its “arrogance,” describing Ambedkar as a figure akin to a God.
“See how Amit Shah is making fun of Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament… We don’t know about heaven, but if Babasaheb’s Constitution was not there, the oppressed, downtrodden, poor, and Dalits would not have had a place on this Earth,” Kejriwal posted on X (formerly Twitter).
BJP defends Shah, accuses Congress of insulting Ambedkar
The BJP quickly retaliated, dismissing Congress’s accusations as politically motivated. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Shah, claiming that his remarks were being misinterpreted and that Shah had shown deep respect for Ambedkar.
“Amit Shah clearly expressed reverence for Ambedkar in his speech,” Rijiju said.
Rijiju also accused Congress of historically disrespecting Ambedkar, citing its failure to award him the Bharat Ratna for decades. “The Congress insulted Babasaheb by not honouring him with the Bharat Ratna and by defeating him in the 1952 elections through a conspiracy,” Rijiju added, referencing Ambedkar’s defeat in India’s first general elections.
Prime Minister Modi responds to Congress's protest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also weighed in on the controversy, responding to the Opposition's protest over Shah’s remarks. He accused the Congress of attempting to obliterate the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and accused them of playing "dirty tricks."
“If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!” PM Modi wrote on X.
“The people of India have seen time and again how one Party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of D. Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities,” he added.
The Prime Minister went on to list several grievances against Congress’s treatment of Ambedkar, accusing the party of denying him the Bharat Ratna and refusing to display his portrait in Parliament’s Central Hall.
“The list of the Congress' sins towards Dr Ambedkar includes: Getting him defeated in elections not once but twice, Pandit Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue, denying him a Bharat Ratna, denying his portrait a place of pride in Parliament’s Central Hall,” PM Modi said.
The prime minister further emphasised: “Congress can try as they want but they can’t deny that the worst massacres against SC/ST communities have happened under their regimes. For years, they sat in power but did nothing substantive to empower the SC and ST communities.”
(With agency inputs)