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Informist, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024

NEW DELHI – Following a backlash from Opposition parties over his remarks about B.R. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Amit Shah Thursday accused the Congress party of presenting his comments in a distorted manner, and misleading the people. The Bharatiya Janata Party, he said, was a follower of Ambedkar's principles.

"My statement on Babasaheb Ambedkar was presented in a distorted manner. Earlier, they (Congress) made PM Narendra Modi's edited statements public. I also want to request the media to put my full statement in front of the public. I belong to a party which can never insult Babasaheb Ambedkar...the Bharatiya Janata Party has always tried to follow the principles of Ambedkar," Shah said.

During the discussion on the 75-year journey of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah said it had become fashionable to keep taking the name of Ambedkar. "It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they took God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven," he had said.

Addressing the media at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, the home minister called the Congress anti-Ambedkar and said that the Grand Old Party had always insulted the first law and justice minister of the country. While calling the Congress party anti-reservation, Shah said it was the BJP that had always worked to strengthen reservation. Shah was accompanied by BJP President and Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, and Railways and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during the press conference.

On the Congress party's demand for his resignation, Shah took a swipe at the Opposition, saying that they would have to sit in the same place (opposition benches in Parliament) for the next 15 years. "(Mallikarjun) Kharge ji is asking for my resignation. If it had made him happy, I would have resigned, but it will not end Congress' problems because they will have to sit in the same place (in the opposition) for the next 15 years," Shah said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also defended Shah, saying the home minister had exposed the Congress's dark history of insulting Ambedkar and ignoring the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. "They (Congress) 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 on X, formerly Twitter. 

"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! 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 Dr. Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities," Modi said. 

Responding to the prime minister's post, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said the two (Shah and Modi) were very close friends and supported each other's sins. Addressing the media at the Congress headquarters, Kharge condemned Shah's remarks. "It is unfortunate that a Dalit who should be worshipped, was insulted. I am forced to say that these people (BJP-led NDA government) don't believe in the Constitution," he said.

Earlier, a massive political row had erupted over Shah's remarks. The Opposition parties protested in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and demanded an apology from the home minister. Both Houses of Parliament could not do any business on Wednesday due to the disruptions.  End

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Avishek Dutta

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