- Monday, March 10, 2025
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah’s alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned
By: India Weekly
LEADER of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the country will not tolerate Babasaheb Ambedkar’s insult and demanded that home minister Amit Shah should apologise for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha.
Gandhi alleged that the BJP is against Ambedkar and his ideology.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah’s alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.
Several MPs of the INDIA bloc, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Gandhi, staged a protest in Parliament premises demanding Shah’s apology for his remarks which they claimed were an insult to B R Ambedkar.
Sharing pictures from the protest, Gandhi said in a Facebook post in Hindi, “Baba Saheb is the architect of the Constitution, a great man who gave direction to the country. The country will not tolerate his insult or the insult to the Constitution framed by him. Home Minister should apologize!”
Later speaking with reporters within Parliament premises, Gandhi said, “They are against the Constitution. They had said earlier that we will change the Constitution. They are against Ambedkar and his ideology. Their whole work is to finish off Ambedkar’s contribution and the Constitution. The whole country knows.”
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared pictures from the protest on X.
“One gets rights by taking the name of Ambedkar ji. Taking the name of Ambedkar ji is a symbol of human dignity. Ambedkar ji’s name is a symbol of self-respect of crores of Dalits and deprived people,” Priyanka Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
The Congress on Tuesday alleged that Shah’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha during a debate on the Constitution show that the BJP and the RSS leaders have a “lot of hatred” for Ambedkar and demanded an apology from him.
Congress general secretary-in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had shared a video snippet on X from Shah’s speech in the upper house.
During his reply to a debate on the 75 years of the Constitution in Rajya Sabha, the home minister had 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).”
Prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stoutly defended Shah from the Congress’ charge that he insulted Ambedkar in his speech in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that the home minister in fact exposed the party’s “dark history of insulting” the architect of the Constitution, leaving the main opposition “stung and stunned”.
“They are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now indulging in theatrics. Sadly, for them, people know the truth,” Modi said in a series of posts on X.
TMC leader privilege notice
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Wednesday submitted a privilege notice against Amit Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar, a source said.
The notice has been filed under Rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha.
The notice also quoted the statement the home minister made in the Upper House on Tuesday.
BJP’s arrogance
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday claimed Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar show BJP’s “arrogance” and demanded that prime minister Narendra Modi take action against him.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Thackeray accused the BJP of insulting icons and revered figures of Maharashtra, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar.
He also claimed Shah would not have dared to make remarks about Dr Ambedkar without the backing of the BJP and the RSS. (PTI)
