India News | TMC Slams Shah over Remarks on Ambedkar, Derek O'Brien Files Privilege Notice
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Trinamool Congress on Wednesday launched an attack on Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on B R Ambedkar, with a source saying party leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien also submitted a privilege notice against him.
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Trinamool Congress on Wednesday launched an attack on Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on B R Ambedkar, with a source saying party leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien also submitted a privilege notice against him.
TMC MPs raised the issue in the House and staged a walkout in the post-lunch sitting.
Derek O'Brien, the TMC's Parliamentary Party Leader in the Upper House, filed a privilege notice against Shah under Rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of Rajya Sabha, according to the source.
The notice quoted the statement the home minister made in the Upper House on Tuesday during his reply to a debate on 75 years of the Constitution.
The source said Derek O'Brien has alleged in the notice that Shah's remarks undermined Ambedkar's legacy and the dignity of Parliament.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah's alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.
TMC MPs also raised slogans in the Upper House, and staged a walkout accusing the government of insulting Ambedkar.
"The kind of statement that the home minister made on Ambedkar ji is an insult to the nation. Babasaheb has given us our Constitution, and the same Babasaheb was insulted by the home minister," TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sushmita Dev said after party MPs walked out.
"What would have this party done to Dalits and Tribal had they gotten 400 seats?" she wondered.
"West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly condemned the statement. The prime minister is trying to cover up the sins of Home Minister Amit Shah. The prime minister should give up his 'anti-Dalit' mindset," she added.
Replying to the debate on Constitution in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah had criticised the Congress for repeatedly taking the name of B R Ambedkar, adding that if they took God's name so many times they could have earned a place in heaven.
"Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar'. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)," Shah had said.
Shah also said the BJP is happy that the Congress is taking Ambedkar's name but the party should also speak about its real sentiments towards him.
Shah pointed out how Ambedkar had to resign from the first Cabinet citing his disagreement with the then Congress-led government's policies including Article 370.
The home minister also said most of the memorials of Ambedkar were built when the BJP came to power.
"How appropriate is it for you to use the name of a person for vote bank politics whom you used to oppose?" Shah asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)