Ambedkar row: Opposition MPs hold protest against Amit Shah at Vijay Chowk

Opposition INDIA bloc parties on Friday held a protest march from Vijay Chowk to the Parliament House demanding resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah for his alleged disparaging comments about Dalit icon B R Ambedkar.

Participating in the march, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, “This government is scared to have a discussion on the Adani issue. It is scared of having any discussion. They know that their true sentiments for Ambedkar ji have come out. So, they are now scared of the Opposition because we are raising this issue. National interest is related to this matter. Our Constitution has been given by Ambedkar ji, people of this country and our freedom struggle. Such insult to him will not be tolerated by India.”

“They are so desperate that they are lodging false FIRs. Rahul ji can never push anyone. I am his sister, I know him. He can never do such a thing. The country knows this too. The country is watching how desperate they are that they are lodging baseless FIRs...These are all distractions”, she added.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said Amit Shah must apologise for what he said about Ambedkar.

“Babasaheb Ambedkar has been insulted in the Rajya Sabha by Shah. He must admit his guilt and apologise. We must go forward and only the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar can guide us in our forward march”, Yadav said.

Imran Pratapgarhi, Congress’s Rajya Sabha MP, said, instead of atoning for the insult heaped upon Ambedkar, the BJP was trying to implicate Rahul in false cases. “Rahul is not someone who will get intimidated by the BJP’s lowly tactics”, Pratapgarhi said.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, SP, DMK, JMM, CPI, CPI(M) and others, took part in the protest demonstration at Vijay Chowk this morning.

Opposition leaders also boycotted the customary tea meeting with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.