‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…’: Amit Shah’s Controversial Remarks Spark Protests, Congress Demands Resignation

On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, the Congress party called for the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of insulting B.R. Ambedkar, one of India’s foremost leaders and architect of the Indian Constitution. The demand came after Shah made a controversial remark in the Rajya Sabha, where he reportedly said that invoking the name of Ambedkar had become a “fashion.” This statement, according to Congress, directly insulted the Dalit community and disrespected Ambedkar’s legacy.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke with reporters in the Parliament premises, emphasizing that Amit Shah should publicly apologize and resign for his remarks. “We demand the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah for insulting Ambedkar; he should apologize to the nation,” Kharge stated. Congress MP Neeraj Dangi also echoed this sentiment, insisting that Shah had lost the right to hold a constitutional post.

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The remarks were made by Shah during a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the Constitution, which led to protests by opposition MPs. The Members of Parliament (MPs) from Congress, DMK, RJD, Left parties, and AAP gathered outside Parliament, holding images of Ambedkar and chanting slogans like “Jai Bhim,” “Sangh ka Vidhan nahi chalega,” and “Amit Shah maafi maango.”

The incident also sparked a broader political debate. On December 17, 2024, the Congress accused the BJP and the RSS of harboring “hatred” for Ambedkar and criticized Shah’s remarks as undermining his contributions to the nation. Rahul Gandhi, former Congress president, linked the remarks to those who favor Manusmriti, claiming they would naturally be at odds with Ambedkar’s views.

Jairam Ramesh, the Congress General Secretary for Communications, shared a video of Shah’s speech on social media platform X. Shah had stated, “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 gotten a place in heaven.” This remark was met with outrage from opposition leaders, who called it a disrespectful jab at Ambedkar.

Kharge further criticized Shah for disrespecting Ambedkar, pointing out that it was the BJP-RSS factions that had opposed the ideals embodied by Ambedkar, including the tricolor, the Ashoka Chakra, and the Constitution. He reiterated that for millions of Dalits, Ambedkar is revered like a god, and such remarks were an affront to their sentiments.

In the midst of this controversy, Amit Shah used his speech to attack the Congress party, accusing it of treating the Constitution as the “private fiefdom” of a single family. He also accused the party of attempting to breach the 50% quota limit for Muslim reservations and questioned its support for Muslim personal law. He further claimed that the BJP had implemented a Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand and would expand it across all states.

The political firestorm over Shah’s remarks shows no signs of dying down as the opposition remains firm in its demands for his resignation and apology.

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