Apologise by midnight or resign from cabinet: Kharge to Amit Shah on Ambedkar row

New Delhi, Dec 18 Congress party launched an all-out attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, demanding his apology for "disparaging" remarks on B. R. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha.

Speaking to the press, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge hit out at Union Minister Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused them of insulting and abusing B. R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution.

"Amit Shah must apologise by midnight for insulting Ambedkar, else quit as the Cabinet minister," Kharge demanded.

He also took objection to the "shielding" of Amit Shah by Prime Minister Modi and asked why the latter made a series of tweets, in defence of the Home Minister.

"Instead of pulling up the Union Home Minister for his "objectionable" and "unpleasant" comments on the Dalit icon, PM Modi went on supporting him with a series of tweets," he said.

Kharge's presser came on the back of Amit Shah's comments during the Constitution debate in Rajya Sabha, where he said that it has become a fashion to name 'Ambedkar, Ambekar' for furthering one's political interests.

The Congress party has been on the offensive since morning, accusing the Home Minister of casting aspersions at the Dalit icon. Earlier, in the day, Congress workers also gheraoed Union Minister Shah's residence and staged a demonstration.

Kharge said that PM Modi must remove Amit Shah as the Home Minister.

"The one who takes the oath of office and then abuses the sacred book doesn't have any right to stay in the Cabinet. He should be sacked with immediate effect," Kharge said, while adding that if it's not done, this will prove that all their talks are hollow.

The row over Ambedkar has become a political hot potato, as the opposition is looking to score political points while the BJP is trying to nip the issue in the bud.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal also led a protest over the alleged insult to Ambedkar inside Parliament and said that Prime Minister Modi's support to the Union Home Minister shows that it was a "planned conspiracy" by the BJP, to belittle Ambedkar's legacy.

Source: IANS