Opposition members protest in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Protests over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on BR Ambedkar rocked Parliament on Wednesday with Opposition I.N.D.I.A seeking an apology from the senior BJP leader and the ruling NDA accusing the Congress of ignoring the father of Indian Constitution for long.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha could not transact any business during the day over Shah's remarks made during his reply to the debate on Constitution a day before, as Opposition vociferously raised the issue and equally defended by the treasury benches.
In the morning, Congress and other I.N.D.I.A MPs had entered both the Houses with Ambedkar's posters after a protest in front of 'Makar Dwar' of Parliament.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar first adjourned the House till 2 PM, as Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge held a poster of Ambedkar while Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju alleged that Congress insulted Ambedkar and did not honour him with a Bharat Ratna.
Congress Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh alleged that Shah insulted Ambedkar while Dhankhar said he is highly respected. Rijiju said the Opposition was misleading the country through a 11 second clip of what Shah said and challenged them to share his full speech in which the Home Minister had given an account of how Congress insulted Ambedkar.
The minister also alleged that the Congress conspired to defeat Ambedkar twice in Lok Sabha elections and now they were “misusing” his photos for votes. As the sloganeering intensified, Dhankhar first adjourned the House till 2 PM and when it reconvened, similar scenes continued.
Rijiju repeated the allegations against Congress in Rajya Sabha again while Kharge alleged that Shah had made a joke of Ambedkar.
“We respect Ambedkar...Congress cannot hide its mistakes by distorting facts...Congress should say why Ambedkar had to resign from the Nehru cabinet. Nehru insulted him that he had to resign...they made him lose Lok Sabha elections,” Rijiju alleged.
“Amit Shah insulted Ambedkar, insulted the Constitution,” Kharge said, which prompted Leader of the House JP Nadda to allege that it was the Congress that had disrespected Ambedkar during his lifetime. Opposition MPs objected to Nadda's remarks and as sloganeering intensified, Dhankhar adjourned the House for the day.
Similar scenes were witnessed in Lok Sabha where Congress MPs rushed into the Well of the House displaying posters of Ambedkar and sought an apology from Shah for his remarks as soon as the House met in the morning.
Some MPs of the I.N.D.I.A bloc also joined the Congress in the Well of the House while Trinamool Congress MPs stood at their seats in protest. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal alleged that Congress always insulted Ambedkar and ensured his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections. The minister also claimed that the Congress has now been forced to take the name of Ambedkar though the party does not respect him.
Within two minutes, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the House till 2 PM as the din continued and when the Lok Sabha reconvened Opposition MPs were on their feet raising slogan of 'Jai Bhim' and demanding Shah's apology. After official papers were laid on the table of the House, the chair adjourned the House for the day as sloganeering continued.