New Delhi: Setting the records straight over the raging controversy regarding his statement on Babasaheb Ambedkar, Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday held the Congress responsible for ‘distorting and twisting’ his Rajya Sabha speech to gain political mileage.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP HQ, Amit Shah said that the Congress is an anti-Ambedkar, anti-reservation, and anti-Constitution party and accused it of resorting to its old dirty ways of spreading false narratives over the Ambedkar controversy.

The Home Minister stated that the Congress party deliberately distorted and twisted his comments on B.R. Ambedkar during the Constitution debate in Rajya Sabha and also quoted past similar instances of ‘fake news’ during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Drawing a distinction between the way that the BJP and Congress treat their national icons and heroes, HM Shah said that he would never, in his dreams, disrespect the architect of the Constitution.

“I came from a party with such values that I will never insult or speak ill of Babasaheb, even in my dreams,” he said.

Launching a fierce counter to Congress’ charges, the Home Minister dug out the ‘past misdeeds and disrespectful conduct’ of the grand old party and said that it is the same party which bulldozed the Constitution by imposing Emergency, it is the same party which insulted brave jawans, questioned their valour.

Levelling a direct charge at the Congress, he said that it has a habit of resorting to its old dirty ways of spreading false narratives, conducting smear campaigns, and twisting the facts to its advantage.

“In the early 1950s, the Congress leaders started a campaign against BR Ambedkar to defeat him in elections,” Amit Shah said while adding that Jawaharlal Nehru’s hatred for Ambedkar was well-known, as his own books have documented evidence of dislike and aversion for the Dalit icon.

He said that Ambedkar was denied Bharat Ratna for several decades after Independence.

“Congress PMs, including Nehru and Indira Gandhi, gave themselves the Bharat Ratna award. It was only when Congress was not in power that Babasaheb was honoured with the country’s highest civilian award,” he pointed out.

He also called out the ‘ignorance and step-motherly treatment’ of Dalits during seven decades of Congress rule and asked why the then governments thwarted moves to bring quota for the poor and unprivileged.

“Those who always made a mockery of the democracy are spreading lies and canards on the Constitution,” he said.

“Mallikarjun Kharge should refrain from the party’s blatant attempts to spread false and fake narrative over the Dalit icon,” HM Shah said, dishing out a piece of advice to the Congress chief over his demands for the Home Minister’s resignation.

Finally, the Home Minister also urged media persons to present the true picture before the public and educate the latter about ‘evil’ attempts to defame him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

–IANS