Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests
Dec 18, 2024
New Delhi [India], December 18 : Both houses of Parliament, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day today amid protests by the Opposition on the remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on B R Ambedkar.
The MPs are set to meet on Thursday, the penultimate day of the winter session (December 19).
HM Amit Shah, in his Rajya Sabha address at the conclusion of a two-day discussion on Constitution on Tuesday had 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 7 lives," he said.
Following those remarks, Opposition MPs accused Shah of "insulting" Dr B R Ambedkar and protested in the Parliament premises with photos of the architect of the Constitution.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore had moved an adjournment motion today morning to discuss Shah's remarks.
In a back and forth, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju also hit out at the Opposition, alleging that it is instead Congress which has done "conspiracy against B R Ambedkar," questioning their respect for the former Minister of Law and Justice of India.
Rijiju also highlighted in a press conference that he is the first Buddhist after Ambedkar to hold the position of Union Law Minister.
"Today, I am the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Ministers Arjun Meghwal and L Murugan, all three of us, come from the same practice as Ambedkar. I am the first Budh (Buddhist) to become Law Minister after 71 years. PM Modi ensured that I sit in Ambedkar's chair," Rijiju said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also criticised Congress saying that Shah had exposed Congress' dark history of insulting Ambedkar.
In a series of posts, PM Modi said that Congress sat in power for years but did nothing to empower the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
"In Parliament, Amit Shah Ji exposed the Congress' dark history of insulting Dr Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST Communities. They are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now indulging in theatrics!," the PM's post said.
"Sadly, for them, people know the truth! Congress can try as they want but they can't deny that the worst massacres against SC/ST Communities have happened under their regimes. For years, they sat in power but did nothing substantive to empower the SC and ST communities," the post added.
