New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Congress as he strongly defended Union Home Minister Amit Shah from the Congress' charge that he insulted B R Ambedkar in his speech in the Rajya Sabha.
PM Modi in a thread of posts on X (formerly Twitter) said Congress was "clearly stung and stunned" by the "facts" presented by Shah, which is why they are now "indulging in theatrics". When it comes to Ambedkar, his government's respect and reverence are absolute, the prime minister asserted.
"If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr. Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken! The people of India have seen time and again how one Party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities," Modi said.
His remarks come a day after massive ruckus ensued in both Lower and Upper Houses against Shah's controversial remarks on Ambedkar in his speech in the Rajya Sabha during his reply to the debate on the Constitution.
"Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai — Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven for eternity,” Shah said, taking a dig at the Opposition.
The remarks triggered a wave of reactions from the opposition with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge seeking Amit Shah's resignation and apology.
Defending Shah, PM Modi said the list of the "Congress' sins" towards Ambedkar includes: "Getting him defeated in elections not once but twice. Pandit Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue. Denying him a Bharat Ratna. Denying his portrait a place of pride in Parliament’s Central Hall."