Oppn leaders mount attack over Shah's remarks in Parl

Members of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on Wednesday set aside differences to come together and attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Union home minister Amit Shah's comment referring to Dr BR Ambedkar, jamming Parliament and holding protests.

- HT Correspondents

NEW DELHI:

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack Union home minister Amit Shah if he had any respect left for Ambedkar, even as opposition members disrupted proceedings in both Houses of Parliament and shared clips of the first part of Shah's statement.

Replying to the two-day discussion on 75 years of Constitution in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah attacked the Congress and alleged the opposition party repeatedly disrespected Ambedkar. "It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar...If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have secured a place in heaven for seven lifetimes..." he said, before going on to add that India's first law minister was forced to resign from Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet.

As opposition members seized on a portion of Shah's remarks, Modi attacked the Congress, saying the opposition party had indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities. Shah also said that his statement was distorted to create an "illusion" that he insulted Ambedkar.

But the Opposition continued to protest. Kharge accused Shah of disrespecting the architect of the Constitution and said the home minister should apologise to the nation.

"Instead of condemning Shah's remarks, the PM has chosen to shield him, exposing his government's hypocrisy regarding the Constitution and Dr Ambedkar's legacy," Kharge said, adding Shah has no right to remain in the Cabinet as he became a minister by taking oath of the Constitution.

"If Modi has any genuine respect for Dr Ambedkar, he must dismiss Shah by midnight today. Otherwise, all his talk about honouring the Constitution will appear as nothing more than hollow rhetoric," the Congress chief said, warning of street protests.