Responding to Kharge’s demand for his resignation, Shah remarked in a lighter vein, “Kam se kam 15 saal tak aapko wahin baithna hai, mere resignation se inki koi dal nahi galegi. If my resignation makes Kharge ji happy, I can give, but this won’t solve his troubles; he has to remain in opposition for 15 more years.”
Kharge demanded Shah’s resignation, accusing him of disrespecting Ambedkar. “If Prime Minister Narendra Modi has any respect left for Babasaheb, he should sack the home minister in case he does not quit on his own,” he said.
What is the Controversy about?
The controversy erupted after the Congress on Tuesday shared a clipped portion of Shah’s remarks, accusing him of disrespecting the architect of the Indian Constitution.
In the video, Shah said, “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai—Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar Bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion nowadays to chant Ambedkar repeatedly. If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have gained heaven for seven lifetimes).”
Shah clarified the intent behind his statement, asserting that it was aimed at exposing Congress’s historical neglect of Ambedkar’s contributions. “The Congress is suddenly chanting Ambedkar’s name, but what about their actions? They denied him the Bharat Ratna, opposed his election to Parliament, and disallowed memorials in his name. The BJP has always upheld his ideals and principles,” he said.
Amid mounting criticism, Shah addressed a press conference, accusing Congress of distorting his remarks to mislead the public. “My address in the Rajya Sabha was clear and on record. Neither I nor my party, which is rooted in the principles of nationalism and equality, could ever insult Dr. Ambedkar or his legacy—even in our dreams,” the minister said.
Shah alleged that Congress, after being exposed as “anti-Ambedkar, anti-Constitution, and anti-reservation” during the debate, resorted to “a malicious campaign” to divert attention.
“What the Congress has done is extremely condemnable. Why did it happen? It happened because BJP leaders spoke on how the BJP governments have always upheld the Constitution and propagated its values. They established with facts that the Congress is anti-Ambedkar, anti-Constitution and anti-reservation,” Shah said.
He added that the Congress was left with no answer following the discussion in Parliament. The party, he added, has adopted the tactic of misrepresenting and distorting statements, including those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and then creating an uproar to mislead people.
Opposition’s reaction
The opposition united in condemning Shah’s remarks, with leaders across parties demanding his resignation. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief M K Stalin, Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were among those who slammed Shah for his remarks.
The attack from virtually all opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, RJD, Left parties and Shiv Sena-UBT, led to adjournment of both Houses of Parliament and prompted the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to come out in stout defence of Shah.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leaders also launched a scathing attack. While Party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav alleged, “The BJP-RSS has always harbored hatred for Dalits and the backward classes. Now, they have started hurling abuse at Ambedkar.” His son, Tejashwi Yadav, added, “For us, Ambedkar is not just a fashion. He is our passion and source of inspiration.”
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed the Union Home Minister’s comments have exposed the BJP’s “anti-Ambedkar” thinking.
“The comments made by Home Minister Amit Shah in the Rajya Sabha on Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar are condemnable. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have repeatedly mentioned the thinking of Amit Shah, whose intention is to change the Constitution,” Gehlot said in a post on X.
Claiming that Shah’s remarks have exposed the BJP’s “anti-Constitution” and “anti-Ambedkar” thinking, the Congress leader said, “That is why they are objecting to even hearing the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar.” Criticising the Congress for repeatedly taking the name of Ambedkar, Shah said in his remarks on Tuesday that had they taken God’s name so many times, they could have earned a place in heaven.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien submitted a notice to move a privilege motion against Shah in the Rajya Sabha.
Stalin, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, said, “Only those who commit more sins should be concerned about ‘punya’ (Good deeds). Those who are concerned about the country, its people and the protection of the Constitution will only utter the name of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar and they will have to utter only his name.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee alleged that Shah’s remarks displayed BJP’s “casteist and anti-Dalit mindset”.
“This is a display of BJP’s CASTEIST and ANTI-DALIT mindset. If this is how they behave after being reduced to 240 seats, imagine the damage they would’ve inflicted if their dream of 400 seats had been realised. They’d have rewritten history to entirely erase Dr. Ambedkar’s contributions,” she alleged in a post on X.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar show BJP’s “arrogance” and demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi take action against him. Thackeray accused the BJP of insulting icons and revered figures of Maharashtra, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar. He also claimed that Shah would not have dared to make remarks about Dr Ambedkar without the backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
X notice to Congress leaders
Meanwhile, adding to the controversy, the Congress and its leaders received notices from social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for sharing video clips of Shah’s remarks on their handles.
Opposition sources said the communication by X refers to the notice it has received from the Cyber Crime Coordination Centre of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for removal of the content shared by them, which is in violation of the law of India.
There was no confirmation from X or the MHA’s Cyber Crime Coordination Centre on the notice sent. In its communication to the Congress, X has also mentioned that it strongly believes in the freedom of speech and expression of its users through the platform.
-With inputs from PTI
