New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday demanded that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi has any respect for Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, he should remove Union Home Minister Amit Shah from the Cabinet before 12 am today.
"Today, we have called a press conference, the intention is... the debate on the journey of Constitution completing 75 years, during it members of political parties kept their views. They spoke well about the Constitution, while some taunted it," Kharge told reporters here.
Kharge referred to one of the comments made by Amit Shah while he was replying to a debate on the Constitution in Rajya Sabha on December 17.
"Our young generation should not know about the contributions of Babasaheb Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, and Jawaharlal Nehru in framing the Constitution. "Yesterday, Amit Shah said one thing, which is very condemable. It is unfortunate that a Dalit hero, who is worshipped by all, has been insulted, taunted and seeing at the Opposition that what are you saying every day. If you take God's name, you would be in heaven for seven lives," Kharge said.
"These people do not believe in the Constitution and when they speak about hell and heaven, they speak about Manusmriti. It is not their mistake, they have to abide by the rules laid down by their school. Amit Shah should resign and if Modi has respect for Babasaheb, he should remove Amit Shah," added Kharge, who is the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.
Kharge, who hails from Karnataka, also warned that if Shah is not removed from the Cabinet, people will take to the street. They are ready to give up their lives for Babasaheb, he said.
Criticising the Congress for repeatedly taking the name of B R Ambedkar, Shah had said in his remarks on Tuesday that had they taken God's name so many times they could have earned a place in heaven.
"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)," Shah had said.
He also said the BJP is happy that the Congress is taking Ambedkar's name but the party should also speak about its real sentiments towards him. The home minister pointed out how Ambedkar had to resign from the first Cabinet citing his disagreement with the then Congress-led government's policies including Article 370.
