Amid ongoing protests over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s comments about BR Ambedkar, senior Congress leader Ajay Kumar alleged that the BJP, which “follows the principles of Manusmriti”, has always “insulted” Dalits.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, an AICC executive committee member said Shah’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha “exposed the true character of the BJP, which practices Manusmriti”. “The mindset of BJP leaders has always been anti-Dalit, which is often reflected in their statements whether intentionally or unintentionally,” Kumar alleged. Shah’s comments on Ambedkar were “not only an insult to him, but also to the crores of Dalits in the country who regard him as God”, claimed Kumar, AICC in-charge of Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
The Congress leader alleged that “the BJP was against the caste census because of its anti-Dalit views”. “This is not the first time when BJP’s anti-Dalit character has come to the fore… there are many past examples,” claimed Kumar, who lost to BJP’s Purnima Das Sahu in the Jamshedpur East seat in the recent Jharkhand assembly elections.
“It was Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru’s Congress that always respected Dalits,” Kumar said. He has demanded that Shah should publicly apologize to the nation.
During the debate on the constitution, Dr Rajya Sabha Last week, Shah had said, “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar Bhagwan ka let to saat janmon tak swarg mil jaata (Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar , Ambedkar has become fashionable to say that if he had taken God’s name so many times, he would have attained heaven for seven years. lifetime).” On Wednesday, Shah held a press conference in which he accused the Congress of distorting facts and tampering with his comments in the Rajya Sabha.
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed continuous protests from the treasury benches and opposition members over the alleged insult to Ambedkar until both houses were adjourned till Friday.
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