Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stoutly defended Amit Shah from the Congress’ charge that he insulted B R Ambedkar in his speech in the Rajya Sabha, asserting that the Home Minister in fact exposed the party’s “dark history of insulting” the architect of the Constitution, leaving the main opposition “stung and stunned”.
“They are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now indulging in theatrics. Sadly, for them, people know the truth,” Modi said in a series of posts on X.
When it comes to Ambedkar, his government’s respect and reverence are absolute, the prime minister asserted.
In a searing attack on the Congress, Modi said if the party and its “rotten ecosystem” think their “malicious lies” can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insults towards Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken.
He said people of India have seen time and again how one party, led by one dynasty, a reference to the Nehru-Gandhi family, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate Ambedkar’s legacy and humiliate the SC/ST communities.
The list of the Congress’ sins towards Ambedkar includes getting him defeated in elections not once but twice, first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue, denying him a Bharat Ratna, and not allowing his portrait a place of pride in Parliament’s Central Hall, the prime minister said.
He said, “The Congress can try as they want but they can’t deny that the worst massacres against SC/ST Communities have happened under their regimes. For years, they sat in power but did nothing substantive to empower the SC and ST communities.”
Modi said it is due to Ambedkar that “we are what we are”, as he listed a series of measures taken by his government to implement his vision and accord respect to the iconic personality.
He said his government has worked tirelessly to fulfil Ambedkar’s vision over the last decade.
“Take any sector – be it removing 25 crore people from poverty, strengthening the SC/ST Act, our Government’s flagship programmes like Swachh Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana and more, each of them has touched the lives of the poor and marginalised. Our Government has worked to develop Panchteerth, the five iconic places associated with Dr. Ambedkar,” he added.
For decades, Modi said, there was a pending issue involving land for “Chaitya Bhoomi”, where Ambedkar was cremated. “Not only did our Government resolve the issue, I have gone to pray there as well,” he added.
“We have also developed 26, Alipur Road in Delhi, where Dr. Ambedkar spent his last years. The house where he lived in London has also been acquired by the Government. When it comes to Dr. Ambedkar, our respect and reverence is absolute,” he said.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah’s alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.
