Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday slammed the Congress’ protests against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr B R Ambedkar, dismissing them as “drama” and demanding an apology for “wasting Parliament’s time.”
Addressing reporters, Fadnavis said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had exposed how the Gandhi family consistently opposed Ambedkar. On the Congress’ nationwide protest against Shah, Fadnavis remarked, “This is mere drama. Congress should apologise for tweeting an incomplete video of Amit Shah (where he mentioned Ambedkar) and wasting the time of Parliament and now wasting the people’s time,” the chief minister said.
He accused the Congress of failing to honour Ambedkar’s legacy, claiming that the party never respected Ambedkar during his lifetime but now uses his name for political gains.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing it of disrespecting Ambedkar both during his life and posthumously.
He alleged that India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru opposed Ambedkar’s inclusion in the Constitution Drafting Committee.
Speaking at a press conference at his official residence, Adityanath said the Congress and other opposition parties had acted unethically and unconstitutionally towards Ambedkar. “Dr B R Ambedkar played a monumental role during India’s freedom movement, the drafting of the Constitution and the early years of independent India. Despite facing numerous social hurdles, he earned the highest degrees in law, finance and economics. His contributions to the nation remain unparalleled. Every Indian holds deep respect and reverence for him,” he said.
Adityanath contrasted the BJP’s reverence for Ambedkar with the Congress’ history of disrespect. He detailed the BJP’s efforts to honour Ambedkar’s memory, including creating memorials at significant locations tied to his life, such as in Mhow, Nagpur, Mumbai and in London where Ambedkar studied.
The controversy stems from Shah’s remarks during a two-day Constitution Day discussion in the Rajya Sabha. Shah accused the Congress of reducing Ambedkar’s legacy to a “fashion statement,” saying, “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).”
Opposition parties condemned Shah’s comments as “disgusting,” alleging they revealed the BJP-RSS’s “deep-seated hatred” for Ambedkar. The Congress demanded an immediate apology, escalating the war of words between the ruling and opposition parties.