On Wednesday, Arvind Kejriwal, the convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), held a one-day protest before the BJP office against enigmatic anti-Ambedkar statements made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament.
He demanded that immediate action be taken against Shah for his controversial comments on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
These protests were ignited following Shah's remarks on Tuesday during a Parliament debate, where he condemned the Congress party for routinely invoking Ambedkar's name and branded it a kind of "fashion."
He opined that had Congress as passionately invoked God as they did Ambedkar, they might have secured a spot in heaven itself. His comments wreaked havoc in the segments closest to Ambedkar and in the communities that revere him as an icon of empowerment and justice.
In response to Shah's statement, Kejriwal expressed profound disappointment and anger. He stated that for millions of underprivileged individuals, Ambedkar is not just a historic figure but, more so, is god-like in respect to his teachings that guide them.
Kejriwal condemned, "Home Minister Amit Shah has disrespected B.R. Ambedkar yesterday. For crores of people from underprivileged communities, Ambedkar is no less than a god. I agree with Ambedkar's teachings of etiquette."
He also told that the Aam Aadmi Party stands for Baba Sahab Ambedkar's teachings and is fully committed to the ideals of social justice and equality.
Rather than restraining himself to the comments made by Shah, Kejriwal has also assailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which is viewed as his futile defense for Shah.
He claimed that, in fact, it was the conduct of the BJP manifesting its real attitude towards Ambedkar and his legacy. According to Kejriwal, this is part of a well-thought-out doctrine by the BJP to decrease Ambedkar's relevance as well as undermine what he stood for.
Kejriwal further suggested that by backing Shah's assertion, Modi has made it abundantly clear that the BJP leaders are fundamentally opposed to Ambedkar's ideals and leave the BJP supporters at a juncture to choose between Ambedkar or the party.
While Kejriwal was objecting loud and clear, it was Modi who entered the social media scene to support Shah. In Modi's explanation for his tweets, Shah was said to have revealed the Congress party's "dark history" of insulting Ambedkar, and this was something that Congress seemed left rattled by.
According to Modi, although Congress was in power for a long time, it did hardly anything for the empowerment of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, communities that Ambedkar represented during his life.
The exchange between AAP and BJP shows an ongoing political and ideological battle over the legacy of Ambedkar where the different political factions invoke his name to further their own positions.
While Kejriwal, representing his party, has carved out a niche for himself where he stands for the values of Ambedkar, BJP leaders like Shah and Modi try to play the Congress down by allegations of historic neglect of Ambedkar's contributions.
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