Following outrage against his recent remarks in Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah came out highly defensive against Congress' assertions.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Shah contradicted the claims of speaking ill about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, saying the opposition party twisted his words. He stressed that he has the utmost regard for Dr. Ambedkar and would never speak against him.
On the other hand, these comments were regarded as very serious since Amit Shah accused the Congress for creating a fuss out of nothing and also accused them of twisting statements.
Shah reportedly remarked during the discussion on the Constitution in Rajya Sabha, "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," which means: "It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name this many times, they would have gained heaven in their next lives."
In response, Congress leaders, other parties as well, started hounding the minister. Their anger was directed considerably towards this manner of hostility sent towards Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution.
Strong remarks were made against Shah by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who called for his resignation. He demanded Amit Shah's immediate dismissal as union minister of Home Affairs by midnight on Wednesday (if Prime Minister Narendra Modi, indeed, held Dr. Ambedkar in high regard).
Kharge warned that severe steps would be taken if Shah was not dismissed, advocating violent protests would be on the shelf for Dr. Ambedkar's honour.
Amit Shah rebutted these charges on the grounds that Congress had twisted his remarks and disseminated misinformation.
"The way Congress has distorted comments made in Parliament is extremely condemnable," he reiterated his contention that he never could have spoken against Dr. Ambedkar. He went on to condemn the Congress party for what he deemed as continuous misrepresentations of his statements.
Shah took the chance to drive home the Congress party's record on the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar. He laid down the case that it was the BJP governments both at the Centre and in states that took the initiative in honouring Ambedkar.
Shah reminded journalists that it was thanks to the Modi government, with additional memorials to Dr. Ambedkar having increased across India. Moreover, the BJP has taken measures to observe Constitution Day, in tribute to Dr. Ambedkar's objective of setting India on a democratic path.
The Home Minister's reply has been quite vigorously counterproductive to Congress' allegations of antipathy towards Ambedkar. He pointed out that, during its rule, Congress undervalued the contributions made by Ambedkar.
At the same time, he seized this opportunity to criticize Congress's past record of undermining the values of the Constitution. The BJP, however, has always stood for the Constitution, remarked Shah. He cited the IM position in 1975 as an example of the party's disregard for democratic principles.
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