New Delhi: As Union home minister Amit Shah faces widespread criticism for his remarks on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, two separate privilege motion notices – one by Congress president and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and another by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien – have been submitted against him.
Parliament saw heated scenes on Thursday (December 19) as members of both the INDIA bloc and NDA protested alleging that the other had insulted Ambedkar, leading to two BJP MPs and Kharge being injured in the exchange.
In his privilege notice, Kharge said that Shah’s remarks were “outright derogatory in nature and affront to Dr. Ambedkar.”
While speaking in the upper house during the constitution debate on December 17 Shah had said:
“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 now to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. Had you taken god’s name so many times, you would have got a place in heaven.]”
Kharge’s notice states that “the tone and tenor” of the remarks by the home minister are “clearly satirical and made in a very bad taste.
“To use the name of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of Constitution of India, is a clear cut insult to Dr Ambedkar. These remarks which have been made on the floor of the house are outright derogatory in nature and affront to Dr. Ambedkar,” the notice says.
“Such a conduct by the Home Minister tantamounts to breach of privilege and contempt of the House. In view of the above, I request that privilege proceedings may be initiated against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs.”
Earlier on Wednesday, a separate privilege notice against Shah’s remarks was submitted by O’Brien, The Wire has learnt.
Following a clip of Shah’s speech being widely circulated on social media, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself stepped in to defend Shah in a series of X posts and said that the home minister had “exposed the Congress’s dark history of insulting Dr. Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST Communities.”
Congress says X refused Modi government’s request to remove Shah’s video
The Congress on Thursday also accused the Modi government of attempting to suppress criticism of Shah by ordering X (formerly Twitter), to remove a video of his recent remarks.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, speaking at a press conference before the start of Thursday’s parliamentary session, said X had informed Congress MPs, leaders, and other opposition members via email that the video would remain online as the video has not violated any law. She also displayed a printed copy of the purported email to reporters.
“These offensive remarks demand an apology to the nation. However, instead of apologising, the Modi government and its entire machinery are busy protecting him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has stepped in to shield Amit Shah, who insulted Babasaheb. But when that did not work, they went to Twitter i.e X platform and gave directions to say that the video violates Indian laws. But Twitter has informed us that the video will not be removed as it has not violated any law. Why are you directing X to remove this video? With what face are you alleging that the video has been twisted and distorted?” she said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Shah, flanked by four other union ministers, at a press conference accused the Congress of “twisting and distorting” his statements and urged the media to present his statement in its entirety.
INDIA, NDA MPs clash amid protests on Parliament premises
Meanwhile parliament saw heated scenes on Thursday morning as members of both the INDIA bloc and the NDA protested at the Makar Dwar, each raising slogans against the other for insulting Ambedkar.
बाबा साहेब का अपमान,
नहीं सहेगा हिंदुस्तान…कांग्रेस पार्टी माफ़ी माँगो
गांधी परिवार माफ़ी माँगो
संविधान के हत्यारों माफ़ी मांगो
📍संसद भवन pic.twitter.com/Pv7CjXShQu
— Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) December 19, 2024
बाबासाहेब डॉ आंबेडकर जी का घोर अपमान करने के बाद @narendramodi जी संसद की गरिमा का तिरस्कार भी करवाते है।
भाजपा सांसदों को मोटे डंडे वाले Placards से लैस कर INDIA गठबंधन के सांसदों के शांतिपूर्ण प्रदर्शन को रोकने के लिए धक्का-मुक्की करवाते हैं, ताकि बाबासाहेब, संसद, संविधान और… pic.twitter.com/9B7v36UT2W
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 19, 2024
Two BJP MPs, Mukesh Rajput and Pratap Chandra Sarangi were injured, in an incident that the saffron party claimed was due to leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s actions.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi posted images of meeting the two BJP MPs at Delhi’s RML Hospital on X and said that the “incident had been caused by Rahul Gandhi’s actions.”
Earlier, Sarangi alleged that he was injured after Gandhi pushed an MP.
“Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP who fell on me after which I fell down…I was standing near the stairs when Rahul Gandhi came and pushed an MP who then fell on me,” he said to ANI.
Gandhi however alleged that he was pushed and threatened by BJP MPs while he was trying to enter parliament, and the exchange had left Kharge injured.
“I was trying to enter the Parliament. But BJP MPs were trying to stop me, pushing me and threatening me,” said Gandhi.
“We are not affected by pushing and shoving. But this is Parliament and it is our right to go inside. BJP MPs were stopping us from entering.”
Kharge later wrote a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and alleged that he too was pushed by BJP MPs which had left him injured, and demanded an inquiry into the incident.
“When I reached the Makar Dwar I was physically pushed by BJP MPs. Thereafter I lost my balance and was forced to sit down on the ground in front of Makar Dwar. This inflicted injury on my knees which have already undergone surgery,” said Kharge in his letter to Birla.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that BJP members physically obstructed him and other opposition lawmakers, preventing them from entering Parliament. “We have a right to access Parliament,” he told reporters, asserting that BJP representatives had resorted to intimidation tactics. In an apparent attempt to de-escalate tensions, Gandhi later visited the injured Sarangi in the hospital.
The BJP vehemently rejected Gandhi’s version of events. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju accused Gandhi of instigating the violence, claiming the Congress leader had assaulted and injured both Sarangi and Rajput. “Whatever Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi is saying is a complete lie,” Union Minister Pralhad Joshi stated, adding that BJP members were making way for Gandhi when he allegedly pushed them.
“Both the people (Sarangi and Rajput) are injured…After lodging the FIR, all the options are open (for taking action),” Joshi said, suggesting potential legal repercussions. Adding fuel to the fire, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey characterized Gandhi’s actions as “hooliganism” and demanded accountability.
Kejriwal writes to Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu
Also on Thursday, former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu asking them to reflect on Shah’s remarks. Nitish’s JD(U) and Naidu’s TDP are the BJP’s key allies in the NDA government after the saffron party won 240 seats and fell short of a majority on its own in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In his separate letters to Naidu and Nitish, Kejriwal said that instead of apologising for his remarks, Shah “justified it” and Modi’s public defence of his home minister “added insult to injury”.
“Babasaheb is not just a leader but the soul of our nation. After this statement by the BJP, people expect you to deeply reflect on this issue as well,” he wrote to the two chief ministers.
