Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Slams Home Minister Amit Shah Over Remark On Ambedkar

In a letter to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and AP CM Chandrababu Naidu, Kejriwal said Ambedkar is the soul of the country

New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday came down on Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his controversial statement on Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar.

In a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu, Kejriwal said Ambedkar is not just a leader but the soul of the country. Shah had commented in the Parliament that it has become fashionable to say Ambedkar-Ambedkar nowadays which Kejriwal and many other leaders termed insulting and unacceptable. Kejriwal, in his letter said such comments not only insult Baba Saheb, but also show the attitude of the BJP towards Ambedkar and the Constitution.

People's sentiments have been hurt

Kejriwal Shah's statement has hurt the sentiments of people. He said Baba Saheb Ambedkar drafted the Indian Constitution and was awarded 'Doctor of Law' by Columbia University. It was due to his efforts that the most deprived sections of society got their rights, he said and asked how did BJP dare to make such controversial statement against Ambedkar.

Demand for action against Shah

Kejriwal also mentioned in the letter that Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly supported Shah's statement. He said due to such statements, people have started believing that Baba Saheb's admirers can no longer support the BJP. Kejriwal said strict action should be taken against Shah for insulting Baba Saheb.

Kejriwal's appeal

Kejriwal has appealed Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu to think deeply on the issue. He said leaders must rise above politics and understand and respect the ideology and contribution of Baba Saheb Ambedkar to the country. Kejriwal led leaders of his party to the BJP headquarters here to protest Shah's statement. Kejriwal carried a placard that read 'Hindustan will not tolerate insult to Baba Saheb'. Senior leaders Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj and other leaders accompanied Kejriwal in the protest march.

Shah on Wednesday had hit back at the Congress over the grand old party's demand for his sacking over his comments on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha. Addressing a press conference in the national capital alongside senior BJP leaders and Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, JP Nadda, and Ashwini Vaishnav, Shah accused the Congress of distorting facts in the parliament. "Since yesterday, the way congress has distorted facts is condemnable in the strongest terms. I condemn it," Shah had said.

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