‘One party indulged in every trick to obliterate Ambedkar’s legacy’: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday defended Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar and said that Shah exposed Congress’ dark history of insulting Ambedkar after which they are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi said that Congress sat in power for years but did nothing to empower the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.

“In Parliament, Amit Shah Ji exposed the Congress’ dark history of insulting Dr Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST Communities. They are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now indulging in theatrics! Sadly, for them, people know the truth! Congress can try as they want but they can’t deny that the worst massacres against SC/ST Communities have happened under their regimes. For years, they sat in power but did nothing substantive to empower the SC and ST communities”, PM Modi said.

If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr. Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!

The people of India have seen time and again how one Party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 18, 2024

The Prime Minister listed the “Congress sins” towards Babasaheb Ambedkar. “The list of the Congress’ sins towards Dr Ambedkar includes- Getting him defeated in elections not once but twice. Pandit Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue. Denying him a Bharat Ratna. Denying his portrait, a place of pride in Parliament’s Central Hall”, he said.

PM Modi also said that the people of the country have seen from time to time how one party has indulged in every “dirty trick” to obliterate legacy of Ambedkar.

“If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken! The people of India have seen time and again how one Party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities”, the Prime Minister said.

Further, Prime Minister Modi emphasized his government’s work to fulfil the legacy of BR Ambedkar. “Our Government has worked to develop Panchteerth, the five iconic places associated with Dr Ambedkar. For decades, there was a pending issue on land for Chaitya Bhoomi. Not only did our Government resolve the issue, I have gone to pray there as well. We have also developed 26, Alipur Road in Delhi, where Dr Ambedkar spent his last years. The house where he lived in London has also been acquired by the Government”, he said.

“When it comes to Dr Ambedkar, our respect and reverence is absolute. It is due to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar that we are what we are,” PM Modi added. He also asserted that his government has worked tirelessly to fulfil the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar over the last decade.

“Take any sector — be it removing 25 crore people from poverty, strengthening the SC/ST Act, our Government’s flagship programmes like Swachh Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana and more, each of them has touched the lives of the poor and marginalised”, he said.

Earlier, opposition MPs including Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi held a protest in the Parliament premises against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar on the Rajya Sabha during the Constitution debate.

This came after Amit Shah lashed out at the Congress party and said that it had become a ‘fashion’ for the party to take Ambedkar’s name. “If they had taken the name of God so many times instead of Ambedkar, then they would have got heaven for seven lives”, Shah said. (ANI)