Remark on Ambedkar: Congress and Left parties in A.P. slam Amit Shah, demand his resignation

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Y. S. Sharmila and senior leaders of Left Parties on Saturday (January 11) slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ‘insulting’ B.R Ambedkar in Parliament and demanded his immediate resignation.

Addressing an all-party round table meeting held at the party office Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada as part of the nation-wide campaign “Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan” campaign launched by the Congress, Ms. Sharmila demanded an unconditional apology from the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. “Dr. Ambedkar is a legend, he is an ideology. But BJP will never understand this because it is a communal party driven by caste and religion, which clearly reflected in its stand on Manipur and Godhra violence,” she alleged.

She accused the Modi government of “plundering the nation’s wealth and handing it over to individuals like Gautam Adani.” She said the BJP tried to show the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi in poor light, while deifying his assassin. She also criticised the TDP, the YSR Congress Party and the Jana Sena in the State for remaining silent on Mr. Shah’s remarks.

CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna said: “Mr. Shah’s disparaging remarks on Dr. Ambedkar were akin to disrespecting the Constitution.” He said the BJP was trying to implement the RSS ideology across the country and accused the ruling party at the Centre of resorting to political corruption, blackmail and discriminating against minorities and marginalised communities.

Former MLC Lakshman Rao said: “Mr. Shah’s act of mockery is disgraceful” and alleged that the BJP was trying to convert institutions across the nation to align with the RSS ideology.

Senior leader of the Communist Party of India- (Marxist) Ch. Babu Rao said Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Pawan Kalyan was reduced to a pawn in the hands of the BJP at the Centre. He said the BJP’s “attempt to saffronise all sectors should be fought tooth and nail.”

Senior leaders of the Congress and Left Parties attended the round-table meeting.