On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the opposition outrage over Home Minister Amit Shah’s controversial remarks on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He made the comments in Rajya Sabha in a discussion over the Constitution completing its 75 years, which drew protests and severe criticism from the Congress leaders.
PM Modi accused the Congress party of attempting to distort the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar, the Dalit icon, and claimed the party’s actions in the past had harmed his legacy.
Modi took to social media to express his thoughts, criticizing Congress for what he termed “malicious lies” that it said were meant to cover the party’s historical misdeeds. He posted, “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 list of the Congress’ sins towards Dr. Ambedkar includes:
Getting him defeated in elections not once but twice.
Pandit Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue.
Denying him a Bharat Ratna.
Denying his portrait a place of pride in Parliament’s…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 18, 2024
The Prime Minister highlighted the historical actions of the Congress party, which he said were meant to undermine Ambedkar’s contribution to India. Modi mentioned that the party, led by a single family, had long resorted to dirty tricks to erase Ambedkar’s legacy and humiliate the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities.
Accusations Against Congress
In his statement, Modi accused the Congress of deliberately denying Dr. Ambedkar his rightful recognition, including the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award. The Prime Minister listed several alleged wrongdoings of the Congress, including their opposition to Ambedkar’s election campaigns, their failure to honor him with a Bharat Ratna, and their refusal to place his portrait in Parliament’s Central Hall.
In Parliament, HM @AmitShah Ji exposed the Congress’ dark history of insulting Dr. Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST Communities. They 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! pic.twitter.com/l2csoc0Bvd
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 18, 2024
“The list of Congress’ sins against Dr. Ambedkar includes getting him defeated in elections not once but twice, Pandit Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue, not giving him Bharat Ratna and not giving the place to his portrait on the prestigious walls of Parliament Central Hall,” Modi wrote on X.
The prime minister also said that the Congress party cannot get away with the violence against SC/ST communities during its rule. He claimed that despite the long term in power by the party, it has not been able to take substantial steps to uplift and empower the marginalized communities.
Amit Shah Controversy
The controversy started when Amit Shah spoke in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Constitution. Shah said that Congress had made the legacy of Ambedkar a “fashion.” He said, “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – 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. If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have attained heaven).
Strong reactions, particularly from Congress leaders, were sparked by the remarks of Shah. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, both known for their criticism of the BJP, denounced the remarks. Gandhi claimed that Shah has shown disrespect to Ambedkar by stating that those supporting Manusmriti are in opposition to Ambedkar’s vision. Kharge took it further by claiming that the remarks made by Shah are an insult to both Ambedkar and the Constitution of India.
Resignation Calls For Shah
Kharge and other Congress leaders demanded that Amit Shah apologize to the country for his statement, even calling for his resignation. Kharge said, “He has insulted Baba Saheb Ambedkar and the Constitution. His ideology of Manusmriti and RSS makes it clear that he does not want to respect Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. We condemn this, and we demand his resignation. He should apologize to the people of the country”.
