Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: With the Opposition gunning for Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation for remarks on B R Ambedkar during the Constitution debate in Parliament, PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday mounted a strong defence of his Cabinet colleague accusing Congress of spreading “malicious lies to hide their misdeeds, especially their insult towards Ambedkar”.
“The people of India have seen time and again how one party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities,” Modi said in a series of posts on ‘X’, leading the BJP’s counter-offensive against the I.N.D.I.A bloc’s demand asking PM to sack his minister.
“In Parliament, Home Minister Amit Shah exposed the Congress’ dark history of insulting Dr Ambedkar and ignoring SC/ST communities. They are clearly stung by the facts…which is why they are now indulging in theatrics,” Modi said.
The PM’s intervention in the face of Opposition onslaught on a sensitive issue comes in the backdrop of a debate in Parliament on 75 years of Constitution where Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi sought to create a political binary between ‘Savarkar and Ambedkar’, ‘Manu-smriti and the Constitution’.
Shah, in the debate in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, listed Congress’ “injustices” towards the Dalit icon, and said taking Ambedkar’s name had become a “fashion”.
The comments sparked a row in Parliament as Congress, facing leadership challenge within the opposition ranks, latched on to the issue to mobilise I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties to hold protests inside and outside Parliament.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanded the PM should sack Shah for “insulting” Ambedkar.
In the evening, Shah held a press conference to counter the Opposition’s attempts to “distort” his remarks.
Reacting to Kharge’s demand for his resignation, Shah said the Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha should not have joined Congress’ “nefarious attempts” to distort his remarks.
“Kharge ji is asking for my resignation. If it would have made him happy, I would have resigned, but it will not end his problems because he will have to sit in the same place (in the Opposition) for the next 15 years,” Shah said.
During the ongoing winter session, Parliament held a four-day debate to mark 75 years of the Constitution. The discussion in the LS was held last week where Modi was the prime speaker for the treasury benches. In his concluding remarks, the PM accused the Nehru-Gandhi family of inflicting maximum damage to the law book.