Delhi: Left parties protest against Shah's remarks on Ambedkar, demand his resignation

The Left parties staged a protest at the Jantar Mantar here on Monday against Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar.

The members of the CPI(M), CPI, CPI(ML) Liberation, RSP, AIFB and CGPI raised slogans against Shah during the protest and demanded that he should be removed from his post.

The demonstration was part of a nationwide movement launched by the Left parties at the central level.

"BR Ambedkar gave us our Constitution, which gave us our individual human rights. BJP does not respect him, they were the ones to oppose the Constitution and they want the nation to be run on the basis of 'Manusmriti'," said CPI(M) leader and former Lok Sabha MP Hannan Mollah.

"The way he referred to Ambedkar shows the disrespect they have. Shah should be removed from his post," he added.

The Delhi CPI(M) in a statement said through these protests held across the country, the Left parties not only condemned the disrespectful comments made against Dr Ambedkar but described it as an attack on the core values of Indian democracy and the Constitution.

"Amit Shah’s remarks against Dr Ambedkar reflect the regressive and casteist Hindutva politics. Such comments are an attempt to create divisions within society. The Left parties have unequivocally stated that they will continue their struggle to safeguard constitutional values and oppose the politics of Hindutva," the CPI(M) said.

Replying to a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha earlier on December 17, Shah had criticised the Congress for repeatedly taking Ambedkar's name and said that if they took God's name so many times they could have earned a place in heaven.

Shah, however, later accused the opposition of twisting facts and distorting his comments on Ambedkar.

He asserted that it launched the malicious campaign after the discussion on the Constitution "established" the opposition party as being "anti-Ambedkar and anti-reservation".