‘My Remark Was Wrongly Presented’: Amid Row, Amit Shah Says Congress Is ‘Anti-Ambedkar’
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Amit Shah’s comments came after Opposition members created a massive uproar over his remarks on Ambedkar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses press conference at BJP HQ.
Amid the ongoing controversy over his remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar in Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hit back at the Congress party and accused it of “misinterpreting facts”. Calling the grand old party “anti-reservation, anti-Ambedkar and anti-Constitution”, Shah asserted that the party is wrongly presenting his remarks and is trying to create a false narrative in the society.
Accusing Congress of hating Baba Saheb, Shah said, “As far as giving Bharat Ratna is concerned, Congress leaders have given Bharat Ratna to themselves many times. Nehru gave the Bharat Ratna to himself in 1955, Indira gave the Bharat Ratna to herself in 1971 and Baba Saheb got the Bharat Ratna in 1990, when the Congress party was not in power and there was a government supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party. Nehru’s hatred towards Ambedkar is well known.”
The Home Minister further attacked the Congress accusing the party of presenting the facts in a distorted way. “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,” Shah added.
The Union minister’s comments came after Opposition members created a massive uproar over his remarks on BR Ambedkar and demanded an apology from him. Claiming that Shah’s remarks were an insult to BR Ambedkar, the Congress party also demanded the Home Minister’s resignation.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Wednesday moved a privilege motion against Amit Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar in Parliament.
Congress Slams Amit Shah
Intensifying attack on the ruling BJP, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday called Amit Shah’s comments on Ambedkar ‘unfortunate’ and stated that the saffron party doesn’t believe in the Constitution.
“Yesterday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said something which is very condemnable. It is unfortunate that a Dalit, who should be worshiped, was insulted. I am forced to say that these people (BJP-led NDA government) don’t believe in the Constitution,” Kharge said addressing a press conference.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday 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 grand old party’s “dark history of insulting” the architect of the Constitution.
Reacting to PM Modi’s social media posts accusing Congress of insulting Ambedkar, Kharge questioned the Prime Minister and said that Shah should have been sacked from the Cabinet.
“PM Modi made six tweets to defend Amit Shah. What was the need for this? If someone says wrong about BR Ambedkar, he should be removed from the cabinet. But since the two (PM Modi and Amit Shah) are very close friends, they support each other’s sins,” he added.
What Did Amit Shah Say?
The controversy erupted when Amit Shah, speaking during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, 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).”
