Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday addressed a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi where he hit back at the Congress for presenting the facts in a “distorted way”, calling it “extremely condemnable”. He called the Congress “anti-BR Ambedkar” and “anti-Constitution”.
“Since yesterday, Congress has been presenting the facts in a distorted way and I condemn it… Congress is anti-BR Ambedkar, it is against reservation and the Constitution. Congress also insulted Veer Savarkar. By imposing Emergency, they violated all Constitutional values…”
#WATCH | Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “……Since yesterday, Congress has been presenting the facts in a distorted way and I condemn it… Congress is anti-BR Ambedkar, it is against reservation and the Constitution. Congress also insulted Veer Savarkar. By… pic.twitter.com/V2QYjPz11V
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2024
The press conference came after the leaders of the Opposition parties targeted Shah over his remarks on BR Ambedkar while replying to a debate on the 75 years of the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha. Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien had submitted a privilege notice against Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar under Rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Upper House.
Shah was critising the Congress for repeatedly taking Ambedkar’s name saying that if the pary leaders had taken God’s name so many times, it could have earned them a place in heaven.
“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),” Shah had said.
These remarks triggered a massive row with both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessing protests from the Congress and other opposition parties that accused Shah of “insulting” Ambedkar with his “derogatory” remarks.
Shah had also pointed out that Ambedkar had to resign from the Cabinet after his disagreement with the then Congress-led government’s policies including Article 370. He also highlighted that the memorials of Ambedkar were mostly built when BJP came to power.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also slammed Shah for his remarks saying they “displayed BJP’s casteist and anti-Dalit mindset” and that the statement was an insult to the millions of people who looked up to the Dalit icon.
