BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Congress for hypocrisy on Ambedkar's legacy and SC/ST protection

New Delhi: BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Monday accused the Congress party of hypocrisy regarding the legacy of former Minister of Law and Justice BR Ambedkar and the protection of SC/ST communities. Shankar slammed Congress for forcing Ambedkar to resign during elections and preventing him from building a memorial, while now holding a press conference in his name.
The BJP leader also raised concerns about the lack of proper safeguards for SC/STs, claiming that only Muslims have received adequate protection.
Prasad said, "Congress's love for Ambedkar is overflowing. The Congress party had forced Ambedkar to resign during elections, and they made sure he couldn't build a memorial. Now, Congress is holding a press conference in Ambedkar's name." He further criticized Congress for not allowing Ambedkar to speak when he was resigning, adding, "When Ambedkar was resigning, he wasn't even allowed to speak."
The BJP leader also expressed concern over the lack of proper protection for SC/ST communities. He said, "SC/STs have not been given proper protection. Only Muslims have been given safeguards."
Prasad questioned the Congress for not making Ambedkar's resignation public, saying, "Congress should explain why Ambedkar's resignation was never made public."
He also praised the Modi government for honoring Ambedkar with a memorial. "Ambedkar was honored by the Modi government with a memorial," he added.
Prasad then pointed out that streets have been named after former leaders Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi but no such recognition has been given to Ambedkar.
Further, the BJP MP demanded an apology from Congress for mistreating Ambedkar, "The BJP demands that Congress apologize for the mistreatment of Ambedkar, which is also documented in papers. Kajaralkar was honored with an award, and this was done by Congress. Ambedkar was never in favor of partition. There is a significant difference in the thinking of the BJP and Congress. We believe in respecting even our staunchest opponents, and we have honored our opponents with awards as well."
Meanwhile, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh criticised the Congress party, stating that it has disrespected Ambedkar since the tenure of former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, while asserting that only the BJP has accorded due respect to the father of the Indian Constitution. "From the time of Pandit Nehru until now, the Congress has disrespected BR Ambedkar. It is the BJP that has given Babasaheb the respect he deserves," the Union Minister said.