'One party indulged in all tricks to erase Ambedkar's legacy', PM Modi attacks Congress over Ambedkar controversy

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Updated: December 18, 2024 1:24 p.m. EAST

New Delhi [India]December 18 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday defended Amit Shah's remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar and said Shah had exposed the Congress's dark history of insults to Ambedkar, after which they were clearly piqued and stunned by the facts he presented.
In a series of posts on X, Prime Minister Modi said the Congress was in power for years but did nothing to empower the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
“In Parliament, Amit Shah Ji exposed the Congress's dark history of insulting Dr Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST communities. They are clearly piqued and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now engaging in drama! Unfortunately, for them, people know the truth! The Congress can try as it wants, but they cannot deny that the worst massacres against the SC/ST communities happened during their regimes. For years they held power but did nothing substantial to give them power. SC and ST communities,” PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister listed the “sins of the Congress” against Babasaheb Ambedkar.
“The Congress's list of sins against Dr Ambedkar includes: Defeating him in elections not once but twice. Pandit Nehru campaigning against him and making his loss a matter of prestige. Denying him a Bharat Ratna. Denying his portrait, a place of pride in the central hall of Parliament,” he said.
PM Modi also said that the people of the country have seen from time to time how one party has indulged in all 'dirty tricks' to erase Ambedkar's legacy.
“If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think that their malicious lies can cover up their years-long misdeeds, especially their insults to Dr. Ambedkar, they are sorely mistaken! The people of India have seen time and again how a party, led by a dynasty, indulged in all possible dirty tricks to erase the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities,” the Prime Minister said.
Further, Prime Minister Modi highlighted his government's work in realizing BR Ambedkar's legacy.
“Our government has been working towards the development of Panchteerth, the five iconic places associated with Dr Ambedkar. For decades, there was a pending land issue for Chaitya Bhoomi. Not only did our government resolve the issue, but I also went there pray. We also developed 26, Alipur Road in Delhi, where Dr Ambedkar spent his last years. The house where he lived in London was also acquired by the government,” he said.
“As far as Dr Ambedkar is concerned, our respect and reverence is absolute. It is because of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar that we are what we are,” PM Modi added.
He also asserted that his government has worked tirelessly to realize the vision of Babasaheb Ambedkar over the last decade.
“Take any sector – be it lifting 25 million people out of poverty, strengthening the SC/ST Act, our government's flagship programs like Swachh Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana and many more, each of them has touched the lives of the poor and marginalized,” he said.
Earlier, Opposition MPs, including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, protested in the Parliament premises against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar about the Rajya Sabha during the debate on the Constitution.
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 God's name so many times instead of Ambedkar, they would have had heaven for seven lifetimes,” Shah said. (ANI)