Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded to the Congress on Wednesday, accusing it of misrepresenting his remarks about Dr B R Ambedkar to spread false stories.
Speaking at a press conference, he said, “The manner in which the Congress has been twisting the facts since yesterday is highly deplorable and I strongly condemn it.”
Shah claimed that the Congress took this step because the BJP leaders had revealed the opposition party’s anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitution stance.
“Congress, an anti-constitution and anti-reservation party, opposed Ambedkar ji. Congress abused Savarkar ji as well. By declaring a state of emergency, Congress dismantled all of the principles outlined in the Constitution, disregarded women’s rights for years, continuously criticised the judiciary, mocked army sacrifices and even had the audacity to hand over Indian territory to other nations,” he alleged.
According to the Home Minister, it was made clear that Congress opposed Dr B R Ambedkar during the parliamentary debate.
He said, “Congress tried to marginalise him after his death. Following the conclusion of the Constitution Committee’s work and the 1951–52 and 1955 elections, Congress implemented a number of strategies to help him lose the election.”
Shah claimed that since yesterday, the Congress has resorted to its old practices and made a horrific effort to sow division in society by twisting facts and disguising the truth as lies.
“During the discussion in the Parliament, it was proved how strongly the Congress had opposed Baba Saheb Ambedkar. How the Congress tried to push Baba Saheb to the margins even after his demise,” he said.
Shah additionally maintained that Congress has failed to acknowledge Ambedkar’s work. He claimed that while ignoring Ambedkar, the Congress leaders awarded themselves the Bharat Ratna.
“Nehru ji awarded himself the Bharat Ratna in 1955 and Indira ji awarded herself the Bharat Ratna in 1971. However, Baba Saheb won the Bharat Ratna in 1990, when the BJP-backed government was in office and the Congress was out of power. Congress continued to work to prevent Baba Saheb from receiving the Bharat Ratna till 1990. It was even forbidden to celebrate Baba Saheb’s 100th birth anniversary,” Shah alleged.
Kharge Demands Shah’s Resignation
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge attacked Amit Shah earlier today and said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had faith in the Dalit icon, he should remove him from the Union Cabinet before midnight.
Kharge called on Shah to withdraw his comments and warned that if PM Modi did not dismiss the Union Home Minister from the Union Cabinet, people would hit the streets.
“Our demand is that Amit Shah should apologise and if PM Modi has faith in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, he should be sacked by midnight. He has no right to remain in the cabinet. He should be sacked and only then people will remain silent, otherwise, people will protest. People are ready to sacrifice their lives for Dr BR Ambedkar,” he said.
According to Kharge, the Home Minister “told us that had we remembered God so many times we could have achieved heaven seven times” and accused us of talking about Ambedkar 100 times. “Amit Shah’s ‘insult’ to Babasaheb Ambedkar is false. I want him to resign,” he demanded.
“Shah has insulted Babasaheb and the Constitution written by him,” Kharge alleged, with other opposition leaders.
During his speech, the Home Minister said that it had become a fashion to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar’.
“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),” he had said.
In the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah criticised the Congress, claiming that the party “played fraud” with Parliament and viewed the Constitution as the “private fiefdom” of a single family.
He attacked Congress for its appeasement tactics, saying the party intended to go beyond the 50% quota limit in order to give Muslims reservations. Additionally, he questioned Congress on its support for Muslim personal law and said that the party has never prioritised the needs of the backward classes.
Also Read: Kharge Demands Amit Shah’s Resignation Over Ambedkar Remarks
