New Delhi, Dec 19: In a dramatic display of unity, MPs from the INDIA bloc staged a protest in the Parliament premises on Thursday, demanding the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution. Dressed in blue, a color associated with Ambedkar, the opposition lawmakers, including Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, gathered in front of Ambedkar’s statue and raised slogans like “Jai Bhim” and “Amit Shah maafi maango.”
The protest escalated as the INDIA bloc MPs marched within the Parliament grounds, confronting the ruling BJP-led NDA lawmakers, who were also involved in a counter-protest. Carrying placards demanding an apology from the opposition for allegedly insulting Ambedkar, the two groups engaged in loud sloganeering, aiming to outshout each other.
The opposition’s protest was triggered by Shah’s controversial statement on Tuesday, where he suggested that Congress leaders would have found a place in heaven had they chanted the name of God instead of invoking Ambedkar’s name. Opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, DMK, RJD, Left parties, and Shiv Sena-UBT, condemned the remarks as an insult to Ambedkar.
The uproar in Parliament led to the adjournment of both Houses, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders defended Shah. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien submitted a notice in the Rajya Sabha seeking a privilege motion against Shah.
The protests also spread beyond the Parliament, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal leading a large demonstration outside the BJP office. Similar protests were held in other states, including Maharashtra, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu, where opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee, M.K. Stalin, Uddhav Thackeray, and Tejashwi Yadav also condemned Shah’s comments.
The protests saw opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, wearing blue in solidarity with Ambedkar’s legacy, and were a vivid display of the opposition’s resolve to challenge the ruling government on the issue.
