"No crime in apologising...": Sanjay Raut tells Amit Shah amid chaos over 'Ambedkar' remark
New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise for his remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said that there was no crime in apologising with regards to Dr Ambedkar.
"Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has no work left. BJP is a party which is sitting idle. Amit Shah is the Home Minister of the country. If he has made a mistake, if there was a slip of the tongue, he should apologise. There is no crime in apologising for Dr Ambedkar, he is a personality that has a God-like status in this country...The man who provided dignity to the backward of the country is like God, even greater than him. You have used the wrong words for him...So, apologise..." Raut said.
This comes amid protests by opposition parties and leaders demanding Shah's resignation over his remarks in Rajya Sabha. He had said that it had become a "fashion" for Congress to take Ambedkar's name.
INDIA Bloc MPs led by Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi held a protest on Thursday in the Parliament premises and demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Many MPs including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Sanjay Raut, Mahua Majhi, and Ram Gopal Yadav were seen wearing blue clothes as a mark of protest against the Home Minister's remarks.
The INDIA Bloc MPs will march to Makar Dwar, demanding an apology and the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Thursday that the BJP does not have basic respect for the person who is regarded as the Constitution maker.
Speaking to ANI, Priyanka Gandhi pointed out the photo shared by the BJP on X of Opposition MPs protest.
"The manner in which he (HM Amit Shah) has insulted Babasaheb and after that this morning they tampered with Babasaheb's photo on Twitter. This is a mindset that vandalises the statue of Babasaheb. Who will trust them? They say that they do not want to end reservation and that they do not want to change the Constitution. They do not have the basic respect, he (Babasaheb Ambedkar) is the Constitution maker. You are saying this about him," Priyanka told ANI.
BJP MPs also staged protests in the Parliament's premises against the Congress party today.
"Babasaheb Ambedkar ji ka apmaan nahi chalega (Insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar ji will not be tolerated)," BJP MPs chanted in the premises while holding banners which read, "Ambedkar showed us the path, Congress misled.
"While protesting, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh targeted the Gandhi family, saying that they have all received Bharat Ratna, but didn't give it to Dr Ambedkar.
"Congress party is the biggest sinner for disrespecting Babasaheb. The whole family took the Bharat Ratna and didn't give it to Babasaheb...Congress party should fast for 24 hours and take a vow of silence to atone for their sins," Singh said.
JDU MP and Union Minister Rajeev Ranjan Singh said that not just Mallikarjun Kharge but the entire Congress party is distorting the Home Minister's speech to create negative publicity.
Speaking to ANI, Singh claimed that Amit Shah explained with examples of how Congress has disrespected Babasaheb Ambedkar.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed adjournments, earlier on Wednesday, with the Congress and other opposition members protesting against remarks of Home Minister Amit Shah relating to BR Ambedkar during his attack on Congress in his speech in Rajya Sabha.