Jammu: Protests against Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar refuse to die down here, as several organisations, including the Congress party, Scheduled Caste (SC), and Other Backward Class (OBC) Confederation, demand an apology from Shah.
A protest demonstration was led by the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President, Tariq Hameed Karra, at Satwari Chowk on Friday, where protesters blocked the road and raised slogans against Shah. Congress leaders from Jammu joined the demonstration, raising slogans against Shah and voicing support for Rahul Gandhi.
For the third consecutive day, Congress held the protest marches in Jammu. The party’s leadership attempted to mount pressure on the union home minister to resign and apologise for his remarks on Ambedkar, the architect of the constitution of India.
Talking to the media persons, Karra said that the entire nation is up in arms against Shah’s derogatory remarks about Ambedkar for which two party workers even died for the cause.
“People from Kanyakumari to Kashmir are protesting Shah’s remarks, but the government is using diversionary tactics by raking up non-issues. The FIR against Rahul Gandhi is a diversionary strategy by the government, while he, Congress president Malikarjun Kharge, Priyanka Gandhi, and others are barred from entering the parliament,” the JKPCC chief said.
“All this is being done by the government under a deep-rooted conspiracy to put the nation on the path of anarchy,” Karra told reporters.
Meanwhile, the SC and OBC Confederation leaders also demanded the resignation of Shah. State President of the Confederation, RK Kalsotra, criticised Shah's statement, calling it "unacceptable." Addressing a press conference here, Kalsotra said, “What was in their heart and mind is now pouring out. Amit Shah must apologise for his remarks against Ambedkar. If he doesn’t, it will be difficult to control the situation, and the BJP and RSS will be held responsible."
He also ‘warned’ people not to support Shah. “They will have to choose whether they are with BR Ambedkar or Amit Shah,” Kalsotra added.
On Tuesday, Shah, while speaking in the Rajya Sabha, criticised the Congress party, claiming it has made a habit of invoking Ambedkar's name repeatedly. "If they had taken the name of God instead of Ambedkar, they would have secured heaven for seven lifetimes," Shah said, taking a jibe at the Congress.
Since then, the Congress party and the supporters of Ambedkar have been demanding Shah’s resignation and an unconditional apology.
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