Amit Shah on Ambedkar-Reservation Row: Home Minister Amit Shah clarified his comment on Ambedkar in Rajya Sabha through a press conference on Wednesday. He said, “Discussion in Parliament should be based on facts and truth. BJP members did the same. When it was proved that Congress is an anti-Ambedkar party, anti-reservation, anti-constitution, then Congress, adopting its old strategy, started twisting the statements.”
Shah said-
Khargeji is asking for my resignation, if he is happy then I may give it but that will not help him. He has to stay where he is for the next 15 years, my resignation will not help him.
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Earlier, Kharge held a press conference at around 4:30 pm on Wednesday evening regarding Amit Shah’s comment on Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. He demanded Prime Minister Modi to sack Home Minister Amit Shah before 12 midnight. He alleged that Modi and Shah defend each other’s sins and statements.
In fact, during the discussion on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Home Minister Shah had said, ‘Now it has become a fashion. Ambedkar, Ambedkar… if you take the name of God so much, you would get heaven for seven lives.’ Calling it an insult to Ambedkar, Congress has demanded Shah’s resignation.
Highlights of Amit Shah’s press conference…
1. Congress did anti-constitutional work
Amit Shah said that Congress is an anti-Ambedkar party, anti-reservation, anti-constitution. The party also insulted Savarkar, by imposing emergency, destroyed all the values of the constitution, Congress also ignored the dignity of women for years, insulted the judiciary, insulted the martyrs, had the audacity to break the constitution of the land of India and give it to foreign powers.
2. Congress did not allow Ambedkar to get Bharat Ratna
Shah said that Congress itself gave Bharat Ratna to itself, Nehru gave Bharat Ratna to himself in 1955, Indira gave Bharat Ratna to herself in 1971. Ambedkar got Bharat Ratna in 1990 when Congress was not in power. Congress kept trying to ensure that Ambedkar did not get Bharat Ratna.
After Ambedkar’s demise, Congress tried to marginalize him. Congress tried to defeat Baba Saheb in 1951-52 and 1954. It refused to celebrate Ambedkar’s 100th birth anniversary.
3. Nehru’s hatred for Ambedkar was well known
Shah said that Nehruji’s hatred for Ambedkar is well known. There is a mention of a letter in Nehru’s book, when PC Rao wrote a letter to Nehru saying that Ambedkar is planning to resign from the cabinet. Nehru had said – Ambedkar’s departure will not make any difference to the cabinet.
There is another book by Nehruji that the mayor of Mumbai suggested building a memorial at Ambedkar’s birthplace Mhow. In 1959, Nehru said – Establishing a memorial would not be a normal thing. Memorials are built on private initiative. Those who have built lakhs of memorials of Nehru, Indira, Rajiv say that Ambedkar’s memorial should be built on private initiative.
The first cabinet of the country was formed, Ambedkar was a member and Nehru was the Prime Minister. It is written in Nehru’s book that Ambedkar was not given any important department. Ambedkar was against policies related to foreign affairs, defence and scheduled castes and tribes and 370.
4. Modi government gave respect to Ambedkar
Shah said that wherever the BJP government came to power, memorials were built. The Modi government developed the Panch Teerth related to Ambedkar. On 19 November 2015, Modiji declared 26 November as Constitution Day. In 2018, Modiji inaugurated the Ambedkar Memorial at Mahaparinirvan Sthal.
5. Distorting statements is the work of Congress
The Home Minister said that Congress has distorted statements and created uproar in public life. Modiji’s edited statements were presented. My statement was edited using AI and spread during the elections. Today they are distorting my statement for Ambedkar ji.
I request the media to put my entire statement in the public domain. I belong to a party that can never insult Ambedkar ji. Whenever the BJP has been in power, we have propagated Ambedkar’s principles. The BJP has worked to strengthen reservation.
6. Cannot insult Ambedkar even in dreams
Shah said, my entire statement is on record in Rajya Sabha. BJP members have conveyed this to the people by tweeting. Congress is distorting my statement and presenting it to the public. It is spreading confusion among the public. If you convey my statement to the public, then the truth will come out. I belong to a party which cannot insult Baba Saheb Ambedkar even in its dreams.”
PM Modi came in support of Shah, said- Congress is doing drama on Ambedkar
After the opposition leaders demanded the resignation of the Home Minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded to the Congress on Wednesday morning. Modi has made 6 posts on X. The Prime Minister said, ‘Congress is now doing drama on Ambedkar. Pandit Nehru had campaigned against Ambedkar in the elections. Congress refused to give him Bharat Ratna. Most of the massacres on SC-ST have happened during the rule of Congress.’
PM Modi said- Congress played a dirty trick to erase Ambedkar’s legacy
Modi said, “If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think they can hide their misdeeds by lying, they are mistaken. The people of India have seen time and again how a party led by a dynasty resorted to dirty tricks to wipe out the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and humiliate SC/ST communities.”
Shah exposed the Congress’ dark history of insulting Ambedkar and ignoring SC/ST communities. That is why the Congress is doing drama now, but people know the truth.
No matter how hard the Congress tries, it cannot deny that some of the worst massacres against SC/ST communities have taken place under its rule.”
TMC gave notice of breach of privilege
The opposition has demanded the resignation of the Home Minister. Trinamool Congress has given a notice of breach of privilege against Shah in the Rajya Sabha. Leader Derek O’Brien said, ‘Shah has insulted a Dalit personality.’ On the other hand, Congress MP Kumari Shailaja said that if the Constitution is a book then Ambedkar is God.
- Jairam Ramesh: Shah should apologize to the country for this. The hatred is so much that they are even irritated by the name of Ambedkar. These are the same people whose ancestors used to burn the effigies of Baba Saheb. Dr. Ambedkar is equal to God and the Constitution made by him is a holy book for crores of people around the world.
- KC Venugopal: BJP’s hatred towards Dr. Ambedkar has always been well known. The Home Minister’s statements have further confirmed how much they hate Dr. Ambedkar. The worshippers of Manusmriti will always have hatred towards Ambedkar, who rejected the casteist RSS.
- Gaurav Gogoi: I think the Union Home Minister has spoken about Ambedkar in a very derogatory manner. This shows that Shah does not respect Dr. Ambedkar.
- Imran Masood: Yesterday Amit Shah made an objectionable statement. I request with folded hands not to hurt anyone’s devotion. Ambedkar gave rights to the downtrodden and deprived sections of the country. He gave us a protective shield in the form of the Constitution.
BJP said- Why is Congress feeling uneasy?
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said- Congress never respected Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar ji, always tried to humiliate him. When Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his views on Ambedkar and Dalit society in the House yesterday, Congress started having stomach ache.
Shivraj Singh said- Now the country is knowing the truth of Congress, so Congress is getting scared. It is worried that even its remaining ground is going to be snatched away. Congress should answer, Rahul ji, Sonia ji and Kharge ji should answer, when did they respect Baba Saheb and his sentiments?
Protest in Parliament against Shah’s statement on Ambedkar
In the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister will introduce the Banking Law Amendment Bill and the Home Minister will introduce the Disaster Management Amendment Bill.
During the winter session of Parliament on Wednesday, there was uproar in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over the insult of Ambedkar. Congress MPs protested at the gate of Parliament against the statement of the Home Minister. Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also participated in it.
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