Opposition MPs including Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad lawmaker Priyanka Gandhi Wednesday held a protest in the Parliament premises against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha during the Constitution debate.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and RJD MP Manoj Sinha among others also participated in the protest.

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The Opposition MPs alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks yesterday show that the BJP and the RSS leaders have a “lot of hatred” for B R Ambedkar and demanded an apology from him. They alleged that Amit Shah insulted Ambedkar in his speech yesterday.
The lawmakers were seen carrying pictures of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Amit Shah has lashed out at the Congress, saying that it had become a ‘fashion’ for the party to take Ambedkar’s name.

Shah, during his speech said, “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 had taken God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven).”

Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge said, “He has insulted Baba Saheb Ambedkar and the Constitution. His ideology of Manusmriti and RSS makes it clear that he does not want to respect Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution. We condemn this and we demand his resignation. He should apologise to the people of the country…He should resign from his position…”

Congress MPs vociferously protested in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the issue.

Earlier today, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said, “Yesterday, the Home Minister gravely insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said ‘You people keep chanting Ambedkar, Ambedkar. It would have been better if you chanted the name of God.’ If this isn’t an insult to Dr Ambedkar, then what is? The truth is that the BJP, the Prime Minister, and the Home Minister repeatedly insult Ambedkar and blame the Congress party instead.”

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said, “Yesterday, Union HM Amit Shah clearly showed our sense of reverence in his speech. He also said how Congress insulted Ambedkar ji when he was alive…The Congress party did not award him with Bharat Ratna for so many years and along with that, the Congress party insulted Baba Saheb and defeated him in 1952 in an election under a conspiracy…”

He said he was a Buddhist and a person who follows the path shown by Baba Saheb. ”In this country, Baba Saheb resigned from the post of Law Minister in 1951. After 71 years, PM Narendra Modi made me, who is a Buddhist, the Law Minister of the country…,” he pointed out.