DMK stage protest in TN, demand Shah's apology for comments on Ambedkar

DMK leader R S Bharathi stated that if PM Modi truly valued democratic principles, Shah should be temporarily removed from his ministerial position

The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu took out statewide protests on Thursday, condemning Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks over Dr B R Ambedkar. The party asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah from the Cabinet for at least six months.

 

Speaking to the media, DMK’s organisation secretary, R S Bharathi, demanded an apology from Shah for his remarks. He said, if PM Modi truly valued democratic principles, Shah should be temporarily removed from his ministerial position.

 

Carrying portraits of Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, DMK members held demonstrations across the state, calling for Shah’s resignation. Their ally, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, also participated in the protests.

 

What did Shah say on B R Ambedkar?

The controversy began on Tuesday when Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised Congress leaders for repeating B R Ambedkar’s name over and over again in Rajya Sabha. He quipped that if Congress leaders chanted God’s name as much as they repeated Ambedkar, then perhaps they would have found their place in heaven. 

 

Shah said, “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Agar itna naam bhagwan ka lete, toh saat janmon tak swarg mil jata.” [It has become a fashion to keep repeating Ambedkar's name. If they had taken God’s name that many times, they would have earned heaven for seven lifetimes].

 

While accepting the fact that BJP appreciated Congress acknowledging Ambedkar, he believed that the party, as well, should introspect where it stands in reality over this great leader and his thought process.

Political row on the comments of Shah

Shah’s words sparked a political debate with opposition parties accusing Shah for disrespecting Ambedkar, the father of Indian Constitution. Even the Congress, AAP, and most state parties demanded his resignation.

 

The agitation spilled outside Parliament, with protests erupting in Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. In Delhi, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal led a protest outside the BJP office, with slogans like ‘Amit Shah maafi mango’ [Amit Shah, apologize]. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah immediately if he did not resign.

PM Modi’s response to controversy

Defending Shah, Prime Minister Modi, on Wednesday said, “If the Congress and its ecosystem believe their lies can erase decades of misdeeds, particularly their disrespect toward Dr Ambedkar, they are mistaken. The nation knows how one dynasty-led party has consistently tried to undermine Ambedkar’s legacy and disrespect SC/ST communities.”

 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), PM Modi stressed that the BJP is a votary of Ambedkar’s values, contrasting this with what he termed Congress’s past misadventures.

Amit Shah’s counter attack

During a press conference, Shah attacked the Congress as “anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitution”. He said that Congress’s newfound love for Ambedkar was fake and came from political expediency rather than a true appreciation of his work.