The Indian National Congress (INC) party on Thursday responded to BJP’s remarks over the INDIA bloc protest, with the event being the latest in the row over Home Minister Amit Shah’s reference to Dr B.R. Ambedkar during a speech in the Rajya Sabha.
The Congress criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for an alleged social media post where a photograph of the INDIA bloc protest in Parliament against Shah was shared with significant editing. The images of Ambedkar in placards held by the protesting MPs were replaced with the image of US billionaire George Soros, and the backdrop was edited to “We love Soros”.
The post that came from the BJP social media account read: “Hello, Congress and INDI alliance. We fixed the image for you. You’re welcome.”
The INDIA bloc protest was over Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar, with the opposition alliance alleging that the home minister insulted the chief architect of the Constitution, demanding his resignation.
In response, Shah later accused Congress of lying and distorting facts, while the latter alleged that he had humiliated Ambedkar.
Prakash Ambedkar responds to Amit Shah’s comments on grandfather
Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s grandson, Prakash Ambedkar, said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on the father of the Constitution reflected the BJP’s “same old mentality”.
Prakash Ambedkar is also the head of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. “Before the BJP came into existence, its forerunners Jan Sangh and RSS had opposed Babasaheb while the Constitution was being adopted,” he added.
He went on to say that there was nothing substantially new in Amit Shah’s statement. “[It is] not because of Congress but because of Babasaheb Ambedkar that they will continue to sulk,” Prakash Ambedkar retorted.
Prakash Ambedkar also demanded compensation to the tune of Rs 1 crore for the kin of Somnath Suryawanshi.
Suryawanshi allegedly passed away in judicial custody after his arrest in connection with violence in Parbhani over the reported desecration of a copy of the Constitution.