Union Home Minister Amit Shah&rsquo;s remarks in Parliament, that invoking Dr&nbsp;BR Ambedkar&rsquo;s name repeatedly has become a &ldquo;fashion,&rdquo; has triggered outrage from opposition leaders.
Reacting to Shah&rsquo;s comment, which came during a debate in the Rajya Sabha on the 75th anniversary of the Constitution,Opposition leaders have accused the BJP of disrespecting Ambedkar&rsquo;s legacy and marginalized communities.&nbsp;
Critics see this as an attempt to belittle the reverence Ambedkar commands, particularly among Dalits.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)&nbsp;leader and Leader of the Opposition in Bihar&nbsp;Tejashwi Yadav&nbsp;called the comments &ldquo;highly objectionable&rdquo;&nbsp;and reflective of a BJP-RSS agenda. He accused Shah and the BJP of undermining leaders like Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, and Jawaharlal Nehru, claiming they had &ldquo;no role&rdquo; in the freedom struggle.
RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav echoed the criticism, alleging that the BJP harbours biases against Dalits and marginalized communities, and its ideological roots conflict with Ambedkar&rsquo;s principles.
The former Bihar Chief Minister in a statement said: &ldquo;Followers of the book Bunch of Thoughts can never truly embrace the ideas of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution. Their hatred for him is evident not only in their words but also in their body language.&rdquo; He went further to allege that BJP leaders harbour deep-rooted biases. &ldquo;Social inequality, untouchability, discrimination, and hatred towards Dalits and marginalized communities are ingrained... their disdain for the Constitution and its principles is clear.
&ldquo;True followers of Babasaheb Ambedkar do not associate with the BJP,&rdquo;&nbsp;he said.
In Tamil Nadu, actor and President of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam&nbsp;(TVK)&nbsp;Vijay condemned Shah&rsquo;s remarks, describing Ambedkar as a symbol of resistance and hope for marginalized communities.
Vijay had mentioned Ambedkar as one of the ideological mentors of the TVK during his party's first rally in Vikravandi, northern Tamil Nadu--a region with a significant Dalit population, and a stronghold of Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) President Thol. Thirumavalavan. Thirumavalavan's VCK is formerly known as the Dalit Panthers of India.
Vijay, whose party is gaining traction among Dalits, suggested that Shah&rsquo;s statement reflects an aversion to Ambedkar&rsquo;s legacy.
He took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter)to say that some individuals may be "allergic" to Ambedkar's name.&nbsp;
The controversy has reignited ideological clashes, with calls for BJP leaders to apologize and reflect on their stance towards Ambedkar&rsquo;s legacy.

Opposition leaders slam Shah’s ‘highly objectionable’ disrespect for Ambedkar, call BJP anti-Dalit

Shah’s Ambedkar Remark Draws Opposition Ire

Opposition leaders slam Shah’s ‘highly objectionable’ disrespect for Ambedkar, call BJP anti-Dalit

December 19, 2024 | 08:59 IST