Amit Shah- Ambedkar Row: Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks on BR Ambedkar have started a massive political controversy, with the Congress-led opposition seizing the opportunity to corner the BJP-led central government and asking for Shah's removal from the Cabinet.

The Congress party has announced a nationwide protest on Thursday, demanding Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s resignation over his comments on BR Ambedkar. The remarks were made on Tuesday in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Parliament Winter Constitutional Debate Session.

Leaders and MPs of the INDIA bloc, particularly from the Congress, are set to hold a pan-India protest on Thursday, reiterating their demand for Amit Shah’s resignation. According to news agency ANI, the protests will be staged at all Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) across state and district headquarters. Video footage shows INDIA bloc leaders staging a protest march at the Babasaheb Ambedkar statue on the Parliament premises in Delhi, from where they plan to march to Makar Dwar.

On Wednesday, the uproar in Parliament, led by opposition parties such as the TMC, DMK, RJD, Left parties, and Shiv Sena-UBT, caused the adjournment of both Houses.

Ahead of this, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has submited privilege notice against Amit Shah for 'insulting' remarks against Ambedkar.

What Sparked the Controversy?

The controversy began on Tuesday when Amit Shah remarked in the Rajya Sabha that Congress leaders might have secured a place in heaven if they had chanted the name of God instead of repeatedly invoking Ambedkar’s name.

“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 this many times, they would have attained heaven across seven lifetimes),” Shah remarked.

This statement triggered a political firestorm, with Congress and other opposition parties demanding his resignation, terming it an insult to the architect of the Indian Constitution.

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Meanwhile, the ruckus in Parliament spilled onto the streets in Delhi and extended to states like Maharashtra, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. In Delhi, AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal led hundreds of supporters in a protest outside the BJP office, raising slogans such as “Amit Shah maafi mango, Amit Shah sharm karo” (Amit Shah, apologise; Amit Shah, be ashamed).

PM Modi Defends Amit Shah

Amid the backlash, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Amit Shah’s defence on Wednesday. He accused the Congress of spreading 'lies' to distract from its own misdeeds.

“If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken,” PM Modi stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“The people of India have seen time and again how one party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate Dr Ambedkar’s legacy and humiliate the SC/ST communities,” the PM added.

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Amit Shah Calls Congress ‘Anti-Ambedkar’

On Wednesday, Amit Shah hit back at the Congress, accusing it of deliberately misrepresenting his remarks and creating a false narrative. Calling the Congress “anti-reservation, anti-Ambedkar, and anti-Constitution,” he said the party was distorting his comments to mislead the public.

In his defence, Shah emphasised that neither he nor the BJP could ever insult Ambedkar or his ideals, even in their dreams. He urged the media to present his remarks in their full context.

Responding to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s demand for his resignation, Amit Shah responded, “Kharge ji is asking for my resignation. If it would make him happy, I would resign, but it won’t solve his problems, as he will have to sit in the same place (in the opposition) for the next 15 years…”