"Clearly showed sense of our reverence for Ambedkar in his speech": Rijiju defends Amit Shah's remarks amid Opposition protest

New Delhi [India], December 18 : Amid Opposition protest against Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday accused the Congress of insulting BR Ambedkar, not giving him Bharat Ratna and alleged they defeated him twice in polls as part of a conspiracy.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha, Rijiju highlighted that yesterday, Amit Shah clearly showed a sense of our reverence for Ambedkar in his speech.
"He also said how Congress insulted Ambedkar ji when he was alive. The Congress party did not award him with Bharat Ratna for so many years and along with that, the Congress party insulted Baba Saheb and defeated him in 1952 in an election under a conspiracy. After that, in the by-election that took place in Vidarbha, Congress defeated Ambedkar. If Congress had not defeated him, Baba Saheb would have been a part of this Parliament even after 1952," Kiren Rijiju said.
Mentioning that he was a Buddhist in an apparent reference to Dr Ambedkar's association with the religion, Rijiju said PM Modi has made a Buddhist a minister after 71 years.
"I am a Buddhist and a person who follows the path shown by Baba Saheb. In this country, Baba Saheb resigned from the post of Law Minister in 1951. After 71 years, PM Narendra Modi made me, who is a Buddhist the Law Minister of the country. You did not remember this. These people are just pretending and I strongly protest against it," Rijiju said.
He said the Modi government has developed "panchtheerth" associated with Dr Ambedkar and a 450-foot statue is coming up on the Arabian sea coast in Mumbai which will be ready by 2026.
Meanwhile, 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 in the Rajya Sabha during the Constitution debate.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, MPs including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Varsha Gaikwad, Kumari Selja, AAP MP Sanjay Singh, RJD MP Manoj Sinha along with others participated in the protest.
The Opposition MPs were seen carrying pictures of Babasaheb Ambedkar. They have alleged that Amit Shah insulted Ambedkar in his speech yesterday.
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.
The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm after the opposition protest.