Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, intensified pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government by calling for the removal of Union Minister Amit Shah by midnight due to his comments about Dr. B R Ambedkar during a recent Rajya Sabha debate.
At a press conference at the AICC headquarters, Kharge stated, “We demand an apology from Amit Shah. If Modiji has any respect for the Constitution, he should remove him before midnight. Only then will people calm down… There are many who would sacrifice their lives for Babasaheb.
Ambedkar stands for everyone, regardless of caste.” Kharge continued, urging the Prime Minister, “If you truly honor Babasaheb, then remove Amit Shah immediately. Otherwise, all your statements about Ambedkar seem like mere theatrics.
Our primary demand is for Amit Shah’s removal, followed by an apology. If that doesn’t happen, then it’s up to Modiji to take action.” His remarks followed Modi’s criticism of the Opposition, which had accused Amit Shah of disrespecting Ambedkar in his speech on Tuesday, stating that the “rotten ecosystem of Congress and its malicious lies cannot conceal its failures.”
Modi took to X to outline the “Congress’ sins” concerning Ambedkar. In his speech, Amit Shah remarked on the current trend of invoking Ambedkar’s name while highlighting perceived injustices by Congress towards him. Addressing Shah’s statements, Kharge labeled them as “condemnable” and “unfortunate,” criticizing Shah for his comments aimed at the Opposition.
He added, “They don’t respect the Constitution. When they mention heaven and hell, they refer to Manusmriti… This reflects their mindset. Their ideologues share similar views. They’ve attempted to undermine figures like Nehru and the Gandhi family.”
Kharge noted, “Instead of reprimanding Shah for his remarks, Modi is defending him on social media. If someone speaks ill of Babasaheb, they should be dismissed from the Cabinet. Their friendship runs deep; one’s wrongdoing is always defended by the other.
I urge Modi ji to reflect on the respect for the Constitution that he claims to uphold, which they seem to disregard.”
