Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Congress Party of distorting his speech in Rajya Sabha regarding his comments on BR Ambedkar. Shah took a swipe at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and asked him to stop demanding the Union Home Minister's resignation.
Shah also said that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) might even consider taking legal action against Congress leaders over the issue.
“When the discussion was going on in Parliament, it was proved how the Congress opposed Baba Saheb Ambedkar. How Congress tried to fool Baba Saheb even after his death… As far as giving Bharat Ratna is concerned, Congress leaders have given Bharat Ratna to themselves many times,” Shah said at a press conference.
The Union Home Minister was accompanied by a group of ministers from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. JP Nadda, Kiren Rijiju, Piyush Goyal and Ashwini Vaishnaw were among those present.
“Nehru gave Bharat Ratna to himself in 1955, Indira gave Bharat Ratna to himself in 1971 and Baba Saheb got Bharat Ratna in 1990, when the Congress Party was not yet in power and there was a government backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party. .. Nehru's hatred towards Ambedkar is well known,” Shah said.
“My comments in Rajya Sabha have been distorted to mislead people. I come from a party that respected Baba Sahab Ambedkar. Congress is used to distorting our speeches. They even edited Modiji's comments earlier,” Shah said.
“I would have been happy if they had disputed the facts presented in my speech. Every word of my speech is factual and drawn from history. That is why they are making such efforts by editing my speech and giving it a wrong meaning,” Shah said. said.
Kharge asks Modi to fire Shah
Earlier, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge doubled down on his party's attacks on Amit Shah and asked Prime Minister Modi to sack Shah. “If Prime Minister has any respect for Babasaheb Ambedkar, he should drop Shah from the Cabinet. (But)…instead of telling Amit Shah (he) that he is wrong, PM defends him. He insulted a Dalit hero. They don't believe in the constitution,” Kharge said.
Shah responded to Kharge by saying that his wish will not come true.
“Khargeji, you will stay in the same place for 15 years. Your wish of my resignation will not come true,” Shah said and challenged the Congress to circulate the full video of his now controversial speech in Rajya Sabha.
“Since yesterday, Congress has been presenting the facts in a distorted manner and I condemn it… Congress is anti-BR Ambedkar, it is against reservations and the Constitution. The Congress also insulted Veer Savarkar. By imposing emergency, they have violated all constitutional values,” Shah said.
What did Amit Shah say?
The Congress party has alleged that Shah's comments in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday show that the saffron party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders harbor “much hatred” against BR Ambedkar and demanded an apology from him.
During the debate on India's Constitution in the House of Lords on Tuesday, Shah lashed out at opposition leaders for repeatedly using Ambedkar's name.
Congress is anti-BR Ambedkar, it is against reservations and the Constitution.
“Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna name agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to call Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar say , Ambedkar' If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have been given a place in heaven)' you hear Shah say in the video.