Mr Gandhi said Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise and resign.
Hitting out at the BJP and clarifying the party’s stance on the tussle that took place at the Parliament complex on Thursday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the chaos was engineered to distract from Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s ‘fashion’ remarks on BR Ambedkar that ignited a massive row between the Opposition and the ruling party.
Keeping a copy of the Constitution in front of him while addressing a press conference, Mr Gandhi said the BJP has been trying to distract from the issues since the Parliament session began and the Congress has always said that the ruling party’s thought process is “anti-constitutional and anti-Ambedkar” and that it wants to erase Ambedkar’s memory and contribution.
“The Home Minister exposed this mindset (with his remarks). We called for an apology and a resignation, which did not happen. Today, they began a new distraction. Opposition MPs were heading to Parliament House from Ambdekar ji‘s statue and BJP MPs were standing near the stairs with sticks in their hands, refusing to let us go in,” Mr Gandhi said in Hindi.
“The reality is that he (Mr Shah) has insulted Ambedkar ji. The Home Minister should apologise and resign,” he added.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who also addressed the press conference, said the party condemns Mr Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar and the mindset they portray.
“He refused to accept he had done anything wrong. We asked for his resignation and, failing that, for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack him. We realised neither of these things was going to happen, so leaders of our party, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, protested. But the BJP is trying to divert the issue,” Mr Kharge said.
The Congress president claimed BJP MPs tried to prevent legislators from his party from entering Parliament and attacked them. He said he was also pushed and sat on the ground after losing balance.
“After doing this, they are alleging we pushed people and caused injuries. They were sitting and making fun of us. There were many woman MPs with us too… We will not tolerate this. The movement (against Mr Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar) will become a national one,” he asserted.
Complaint, Counter-Complaint
Both the Congress and the BJP have alleged that members from the opposite side attacked and pushed their MPs when legislators from the Opposition party were entering Parliament House on Thursday morning. While the Congress was protesting Mr Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar, the BJP had organised a counter-protest against the Opposition party, alleging it had disrespected the architect of the Constitution.
The BJP has claimed that Rahul Gandhi, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, injured two of its MPs, Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput. The BJP said Mr Gandhi pushed Mr Rajput, who fell on Mr Sarangi. Both MPs were taken to a hospital with injuries and the BJP filed a complaint at the Parliament Street police station against Mr Gandhi.
BJP’s Nagaland MP Pahangnon Konyak also accused Mr Gandhi of misbehaving with her when she and her colleagues were taking part in the protest
The Congress has also filed a complaint at the same police station alleging BJP leaders pushed Mr Kharge.
“Eighty-four-year-old Dalit leader Mallikarjun Kharge was pushed and misbehaved with. We have come here to file a complaint against this act,” Congress MP Pramod Tiwari said.
Ambedkar Remarks
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday during a debate commemorating 75 years of the adoption of the Constitution, Home Minister Amit Shah had said, “It has become the fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… If they (the Opposition) took God’s name so many times, they would get a place in heaven.”
The Trinamool Congress and the Congress have moved privilege motions against Mr Shah over the remarks and the Congress has also been organising nationwide protests.
Mr Shah held a press conference on Wednesday and accused the Congress of distorting facts and using clipped videos after being unable to defend itself against charges of attacking the Constitution and democracy in India. He also refused to resign, saying it would not “solve the Congress’ problems”.
PM Modi also defended Mr Shah and accused the Congress and its “ecosystem” of using “malicious lies to hide their misdeeds of several years”.
