The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of invoking Bharat Ratna Bhimrao Ambedkar’s legacy for its political purposes.

“The Congress party’s recent show of admiration for Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar is nothing but a hollow drama,” senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said while addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here.

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Accusing the Congress of hypocrisy regarding the legacy of former Minister of Law and Justice B R Ambedkar, Prasad said the same Congress, which has consistently disrespected, mocked and humiliated Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, is now pretending to demand rights in his name.

“The Congress party has always been anti-Ambedkar. This is why they neither established nor allowed the establishment of memorials for Babasaheb,” the senior BJP leader said.

In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has consistently incorporated Babasaheb’s ideals into its policies and has restored sites related to him, Prasad said.

He said furthermore, memorials have been established at every place associated with Babasaheb in his honour.

The BJP leader said Congress should offer an unconditional apology to the entire nation for the disrespect shown to Babasaheb Ambedkar by its leaders and Pandit Nehru.

Prasad said the Congress is staging a drama with press conferences against the BJP across the country.

“This is the same Congress that has always insulted the nation’s great son, Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar and prevented him from becoming a member of the Constituent Assembly. Now, they are pretending to show affection for Babasaheb. The Congress, which defeated Babasaheb in the 1952 Lok Sabha elections and the 1954 by-election and forced him to resign from the position of the country’s Law Minister, is the same party that never awarded him the Bharat Ratna,” the senior BJP leader said.

“The Congress, which blocked the construction of any memorial for Babasaheb, is now holding press conferences in his name. Congress should put an end to this hypocrisy,” Prasad said.

The senior BJP leader further remarked that whenever a person resigns from the Council of Ministers, they are usually given an opportunity to speak in the House.

“However, after Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar’s resignation, he was not even allowed to address the House. In his resignation letter, Babasaheb Ambedkar expressed strong criticism of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Babasaheb wrote, ‘I have been wondering whether there is any other parallel in the world to the condition of Scheduled Caste in India. I cannot find any. And yet, why is no relief granted to the Scheduled Castes? Compare the concern the government shows over safeguarding Muslims. The Prime Minister’s attention is devoted to the protection of Muslims. I yield to none, not even the Prime Minister, in my desire to give the Muslims of India the utmost protection. But what I want to know is, are Muslims the only people who need protection?’ These are some of the key points from Babasaheb’s resignation letter,” Prasad said.

“This is why the Congress never made Babasaheb’s resignation letter public,” the senior BJP leader said.

Prasad said the Congress must explain why it chose to hide Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar’s resignation from the people. “If it had been revealed, it could have tarnished Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s image,” the senior BJP leader said.

The senior BJP leader further said a senior Congress leader, who is very close to Rahul Gandhi, claimed that after the scuffle in Parliament and the case filed against Rahul Gandhi, it was a matter of pride and part of their fight to honour Babasaheb’s legacy.

“The Congress Party’s bundle of lies is truly baffling. On one hand, Rahul Gandhi pushed and shoved, causing MPs to fall and get injured, even requiring hospitalization. A case was filed against him, yet his leaders are calling it a matter of pride,” Prasad said.