'Congress is anti-Ambedkar': Amit Shah responds to Oppn criticism of his remarks on Dalit icon

With just a few days left for the Winter Session of the Indian Parliament to conclude, Home Minister Amit Shah faced severe criticism from opposition lawmakers over his remarks on Dalit icon Dr BRAmbedkar- which he made on Tuesday (Dec 17) during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha.

On Wednesday, Union Home Minister Shah responded to the opposition criticism by lashing out at the Congress party. Addressing a press conference, Shah said that the Congress had been presenting facts about his speech in the Rajya Sabha in a distorted manner.

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"...Since yesterday, Congress has been presenting the facts in a distorted way and I condemn it... Congress is anti-BR Ambedkar, it is against reservation and the Constitution," Shah told reporters.

'Discussion should always be held based on facts'

Shah told reporters it was obvious that political parties and people would have different pointsof view on different issues. "But the discussion should always be held based on facts," he added.

"...My statement was presented in a distorted manner. Earlier they (the opposition/Congress) made PM Narendra Modi's edited statements public. When the elections were going on, my statement was edited using AI. And today they are presenting my statement in a distorted manner. I also want to request the media to put my full statement in front of the public. I belong to a party which can never insult Ambedkar ji," the Indian home minister further said.

He pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has always tried to follow Ambedkar's principles.

Amid Congress National President Mallikarjun Khargecalling for his (Shah's) resignation from the post of the home minister, Shah said, "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..."

What did Amit Shah say in the Rajya Sabha?

While addressing the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah took a swipe at the opposition by saying it had become a fashion to take the name of Ambedkar repeatedly.

"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 (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar'. If they (opposition) had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)," Shah had said.

"Take his name 100 times more, but I want to say what are your sentiments about him," Shah added and pointed out that Ambedkar had to resign from the first Cabinet following disagreement with the Jawaharlal Nehru government.