Ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Tripura, the state Congress on Thursday staged a protest in Agartala over Dr BR Ambedkar’s remarks in Parliament and burnt his effigy. Shah will travel to Tripura to attend the 72nd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) starting on Saturday.
Thursday’s protest was part of the agitation organized by the Congress against Shah’s remarks in the Rajya Sabha during the ongoing winter session of Parliament, which the party said he insulted the framers of the Constitution. The opposition parties have also demanded that Sah be removed from the cabinet.
“It’s become a fashion now – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… So many names, if you take God’s name, you’ll get heaven with you. (Nowadays there is a fashion – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… If you chant God’s name this many times, you will get heaven in seven births), Shah had said on Tuesday.
Tripura Congress President Ashish Kumar Saha, MLA Sudeep Roy Burman and others took out a protest rally in Agartala carrying placards and posters of Ambedkar and raised slogans against Shah.
Talking to reporters, Burman also accused Shah, “He (Shah) insulted BR Ambedkar and millions of Indians who believe in the Constitution. We demand that he immediately retract his comments and issue a public apology. Commitment to Ambedkar is not a “fashion” for the Congress, but instead, the old party has always stood by his principles, Burman added.
Shah said the Congress was protesting inside and outside Parliament against the BJP’s “unconstitutional agenda”. He also accused the BJP of bringing Manusmriti instead of the Constitution. “Amit Shah should resign and publicly apologize to the people of the country for his shameful statement,” Shah added.
Many leaders including Mamata Banerjee, MK Stalin, Siddaramaiah, Arvind Kejriwal, Akhilesh Yadav etc have condemned Shah’s comments.
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