’Burned Baba Saheb’s effigies..’ Congress demands apology from Amit Shah over remarks on Ambedkar

The Congress party has alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha show that the saffron party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders have a “lot of hatred” for BR Ambedkar and demanded an apology from him.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led the attack saying those who believe in Manusmriti will definitely be at odds with Ambedkar.

Congress general secretary-in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that Shah has said something very disgusting. This shows that the BJP and RSS leaders have a lot of hatred for Baba Saheb Ambedkar, he said.

“The hatred is such that they are even irritated by his name. These are the same people whose ancestors used to burn the effigies of Baba Saheb, who themselves used to talk about changing the constitution given by Baba Saheb.” Ramesh said sharing a video snippet on X from Shah’s speech in the upper house.

Speaking during the debate on Constitution of India in the Upper House on Tuesday, Shah took a swipe at the opposition leaders for repeatedly using Ambedkar’s name.

“Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar…”

“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 is heard saying in the video.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge lashed out at Shah, saying the ‘insult’ of Babasaheb by the home minister ‘has once again proven that the BJP-RSS were against the tricolour, their forefathers opposed the Ashok Chakra and the people of the Sangh Parivar wanted to implement Manusmriti instead of the Constitution of India from the very first day”.

“Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar Ji did not allow this to happen, that is why there is so much hatred towards him,” Kharge said.

Congress general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal also hit out at Shah over his remarks.

“HM Amit Shah, in case you didn’t know – Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar is equivalent to God and the Constitution he drafted is a Holy Book for crores of people across the world. How dare you speak about Dr. Ambedkar with such disdain?” he said.

Concluding a two-day debate on the “Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India”, Shah ripped into the Congress for its appeasement politics and claimed that the party wanted to breach the 50 per cent quota limit to provide reservation to Muslims.

The hatred is such that they are even irritated by his name.