Union Home Minister Amit Shah caused turmoil in the parliament after he made a remake of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the man behind the formation of the great Indian Constitution on 17th December 2024. This remark ignited an argument between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party, and their opposition Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
The Controversial Statement
Amit Shah during a debate on the constitution 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”
Translation
Taking the name of Ambedkar has become a fashion today. If you have said God’s name at those times you have taken the name of Ambedkar, you might have secured a place in heaven for the next seven of your births.
This was speculated as a belittlement of Dr. Ambedkar's legacy, leading to an immediate backlash.
The Opposition’s Uproar
Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress President, condemned the statement strongly, saying it disrespects Dr. Ambedkar, who framed the nation's constitution. She demanded a sincere apology from Amit Shah and his resignation.
Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress President reflected his emotions in a statement “ Those who follow Manusmriti will always be at odds with Ambedkar”.
The Congress Party started protesting with photos of Dr. Ambedkar and chanting the slogans “Jai Bhim” and “ Amit Shah maafi mango” (Amit Shah should apologize).
The Counter Protest
The ruling party accused Congress of politicizing the statement and using it for political gain. On the other hand, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi defended his Cabinet member, Amit Shah stating
"In Parliament, HM Amit Shah Ji exposed the Congress' dark history of insulting Dr. Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST Communities."
Physical Confrontations
The parliament was a disaster after both parties started protesting, leading to physical confrontations. Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput BJP MPs were left with head injuries and were rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. This eventually led to lodge a FIR against Rahul Gandhi for which he defended himself saying he tried to enter the parliament but got pushed away.
Current Scenario
The media started covering this issue on a broader scale. The public on a larger scale wanted Amit Shah’s resignation and started criticizing the BJP party, meanwhile, a few think that this was a political stunt to gain voters' attention from the Congress Party.
On Eagle's eye
Reminiscing the period of Dr. Ambedkar who was a jurist, economist, and social reformer who rallied for the discrimination of the Dalits. He was the backbone of the Indian Constitution. Now the ongoing protest was deeply affected by it. The Congress framed the BJP as being disrespectful towards Dalits and the Indian Constitution. On the other hand, the BJP continues to defend itself and reaffirm its faith in Dr. Ambedkar's ideologies.
Conclusion
This uproar in the parliament has raised protests and anti-protests all over the country. Though Dr. Ambedkar is dead, his legacy continues. So this is a reminder to all the politicians out there about the respect people have towards Dr. Ambedkar and taking his name should accompany respect and his legacy should not bring in the talks of contemporary politics.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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Author's Bio
Ayesha Jumana A R is a dedicated content writer specializing in creative content, blogs, SEO-optimised articles, and product descriptions. She has earned recognition at the national level for critical writing, contributed to the Assist World Record for Spill Poetry, and received multiple state and district-level prizes for her poetry. Her work is featured in the anthology An Invisible Bond, available on Amazon.
