Amit Shah’s statement has offended Ambedkar’s followers: Mayawati

BSP chief Mayawati addresses a press conference at her residence, in Lucknow, on December 19, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Thursday (December 19, 2024) said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should take back his recent remark on Dr. B.R. Ambedkarsaying that it has offended the followers of Dr. Ambedkar and harmed the Dalit icon’s dignity. Her statement comes even as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress-led Opposition parties continue to take potshots at each other over Mr. Shah’s statement made in the Rajya Sabha earlier this week.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday (December 17, 2024), the Home Minister said that Congress leaders would have got a place in the heaven had they chanted the name of God instead of repeating the name of Dr. Ambedkar. He said, “Now a fashion has become – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. That’s the name, if God’s name is given till the time of birth, heaven will be found. (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Had they taken the name of God so many times, they would have got a place in heaven).

“The words used by BJP’s Amit Shah on the real architect of the Indian Constitution, the revered God and Messiah of Dalits and other neglected classes, highly respected Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar greatly harmed Babasaheb’s dignity. We (BSP) believe that this has insulted him in a way, due to which there is tremendous anger and resentment among his followers across the country. He should take back these words soon and also repent for it[uttering the words]. Otherwise, the followers of Babasaheb will never forget this incident nor will they ever forgive him,” the former four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said in a statement in Lucknow.

She also targeted the Congress saying that the party had not given due respect to Dr. Ambedkar in the past. “Babasaheb’s supporters have not yet been able to forget the misdeeds by the Congress party against him. They are never going to forgive the Congress party, no matter how much it changes its so called conduct,” said Ms. Mayawati. She said that after Ambedkar’s death, the grand-old-party tried to remove his name and contributions in the making of the Constitution from the pages of history.