Cong accuses BJP of distracting from Amit Shah’s insult to Ambedkar, demands apology and resignation

The Congress party accused the BJP of trying to distract from the controversy over Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments about Dr. BR Ambedkar on Thursday. They called for Shah to resign and apologise for what they called an insult to Ambedkar. Congress also accused the BJP of being “anti-Constitution” and “anti-Ambedkar.”

At a press conference held at the AICC headquarters, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party leader Rahul Gandhi condemned Shah’s remarks. They said they would continue to protest across the country, and that a movement had already begun against Shah’s comments.

Kharge said the BJP was trying to shift attention away from Shah’s remarks about Ambedkar by raising other issues. He told reporters, “The BJP wants to divert attention from Shah’s comments, and that is why they are bringing up other issues.” He also said Congress leaders were only asking for Shah’s resignation and were protesting in support of their demand. He added that when they tried to enter Parliament, BJP MPs blocked them. “They pushed me, I lost my balance and sat down,” Kharge explained, stressing that he strongly condemned Shah’s remarks.

Kharge emphasized that the Congress would continue to fight for Ambedkar’s dignity through a nationwide movement. Gandhi joined in, saying that the BJP-RSS mindset was “anti-Constitution” and “anti-Ambedkar.”

“The BJP is trying to distract from the real issue,” Gandhi said. “We want Shah to apologize and resign for his comments about Ambedkar.” He also pointed out the BJP’s refusal to allow any discussion on the Adani case in Parliament, accusing them of avoiding the topic. “The main issue the BJP doesn’t want to discuss is the Adani case,” Gandhi added. “Narendra Modi is selling India to Adani.”

Later, Gandhi shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), demanding Shah’s resignation and apology, writing, “Amit Shah, Apologise and Resign.”

He criticised the BJP for trying to divert attention from both Shah’s comments and the Adani issue. “From the beginning, we have been saying that the BJP-RSS mindset is anti-Constitution and against Ambedkar,” Gandhi said. “The BJP and RSS want to erase the contribution of Babasaheb Ambedkar.”

Gandhi explained how they tried to peacefully walk from Ambedkar’s statue to Parliament, but BJP MPs blocked their path. He said, “BJP MPs were sitting on the steps of Parliament, stopping us from entering.” He also mentioned that women MPs from the INDIA alliance were also blocked from entering.

Kharge shared that even when they tried to walk toward Parliament, BJP leaders mocked them. “The kind of environment the BJP has created in the country will no longer be tolerated,” he said. “Today, a nationwide movement is taking place because of this.”

Both Kharge and Gandhi made it clear that they would continue their fight for Ambedkar and against the BJP’s actions.

With inputs from PTI