New Delhi: A heated political dispute unfolded in Parliament on Thursday as members of the Opposition INDIA bloc and the ruling BJP-led NDA staged separate protest marches following controversial remarks made by Amit Shah about Dr BR Ambedkar, the Chief architect of Indian Constitution.
Wearing blue, the color associated with Ambedkar, Opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc marched within the Parliament complex, demanding the resignation of Amit Shah. They were protesting his comments on Ambedkar, which they felt were offensive. In contrast, MPs from the BJP-led NDA also held a march, raising slogans and displaying placards calling for an apology from the Congress party, accusing them of insulting Ambedkar.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, led a march from Ambedkar’s statue inside Parliament, carrying photographs of the leader and chanting slogans of ‘Jai Bhim’.
The controversy erupted on Wednesday when Congress and other opposition parties fiercely criticized Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar, demanding his dismissal from office. In response, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders defended Shah, accusing the Congress of adopting an "anti-Ambedkar" stance.
Thursday’s Parliament session was marred by the ongoing row, leading to the adjournment of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Lok Sabha was adjourned until 2 pm after a tribute to former MP E.V.K.S. Elangovan, while the Rajya Sabha also adjourned till 2 pm after Opposition MPs raised demands for a discussion on the Ambedkar issue. As protests continued, MPs from the INDIA bloc displayed banners of Ambedkar, reiterating their call for an apology from Shah.
Amid the ongoing tensions, Union Law Minister Arjun Singh Meghwal was set to move a motion to refer the ‘One Nation One Election’ Bills to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). This motion is expected to be debated after the Ambedkar controversy settles. The JPC, announced on Wednesday, will include members from both the INDIA and NDA blocs, including Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Manish Tewari, along with representatives from the NCP, TMC, and BJP. The committee will review the Constitution Amendment Bill on ‘One Nation, One Election’ as well as an amendment to the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963.
As the debate continues, the political climate in Parliament remains tense, with the Ambedkar row likely to dominate discussions in the coming days.