kharge-demands-shah-s-dismissal-over-ambedkar-s-remarks

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge strongly condemned the comments made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Dr. BR Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha.

 

Kharge was holding a press conference on Wednesday and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi really respected the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar, the revered Dalit icon, he should get Amit Shah out of the Union Cabinet immediately.

 

Kharge's comments came as a reaction to Shah's controversial remarks in the Rajya Sabha, which aroused widespread resentment, particularly among Dalit communities and their political leaders.

 

"If he has any respect for Dr Ambedkar, he should publicly apologize and Modi should sack him from the cabinet by midnight. If this does not happen, the streets will be abuzz," Kharge cautioned, adding that common people were ready to go to jail for Ambedkar.

 

Kharge was very clear in demanding Shah's dismissal. He reiterated that the Union Home Minister had no right to stay in the Cabinet after uttering such comments.

 

"If PM Modi has any faith in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, then Amit Shah should be sacked and sacked immediately. If it does not happen, the streets will be on fire," Kharge said, stressing that people, especially Dalits, would take to the streets in protest even at the cost of their lives defending the honor of Dr. Ambedkar.

 

Kharge's demand for action from Shah is thus exceptional, accentuating the political and social tensions around the issue.

 

Since the Dalit community views Shah's comments as offensive to Dr. Ambedkar's memory, Kharge's demand has only swelled the debate. He furthermore warned that if the Prime Minister does not act, it will only fuel greater unrest, because the people cannot remain silent in the face of such an affront.

 

For now, there has been no comments from the Prime Minister on Kharge's demand. However, that very controversy has taken up most of the political discourse, with political opponents rallying around Kharge's demand for Shah to be sacked.

 

The movement has pushed the distances between ruling BJP on one side and the opposition parties in an unfurling apparent display of grievances toward the latter, especially for parties rendering support from Dalit or backward classes standing for Dr Ambedkar's legacy, definitely farther apart.