Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati spoke out against Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday. She said his comments in the Rajya Sabha about Dr. BR Ambedkar, the creator of India’s Constitution, were disrespectful and hurtful. Mayawati demanded that Amit Shah apologize for his words.
During a recent press conference in Lucknow, Mayawati expressed her discontent, stating that many of Ambedkar’s followers across India are upset with Shah’s remarks. She mentioned, “Shah’s words have offended Baba Saheb’s dignity and many people are angry. If he doesn’t take back what he said and apologize, his followers will remember this just like they remember the Congress’s wrongdoings against Ambedkar.”
Earlier this week, while discussing the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, Amit Shah remarked that the Congress party uses Ambedkar’s name too often. He said, “It’s become a trend to repeat ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar.’ If they had invoked God’s name that many times, they’d surely find a place in heaven.”
In response, Amit Shah later said that Congress misunderstood his comments. He also pointed out that Ambedkar was not awarded the Bharat Ratna during previous Congress governments, but it was given to him by a government supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party in 1990.
Earlier today, MPs from the opposition party, led by Rahul Gandhi, protested on the Parliament grounds. The BJP also held a protest against what they called an insult to the Dalit leader by Congress.