Derek O’Brien files privilege notice against Amit Shah over Ambedkar remarks

PTI, Dec 18, 2024, 3:40 PM IST

amith shah (pti/file)

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien on Wednesday submitted a privilege notice against Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on B R Ambedkar, a source said.

According to the source, the notice has been filed under Rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Rajya Sabha.

The notice also quoted the statement the home minister made in the Upper House on Tuesday during his reply to a debate on the 75 years of the Constitution.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessed protests from the Congress and some other opposition parties over Shah’s alleged insult of Ambedkar, resulting in both the Houses being adjourned.

Criticising the Congress for repeatedly taking the name of B R Ambedkar, Shah had said in his remarks that if they taken God’s name so many times they could have earned a place in heaven.

“Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai – Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar’. If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven),” Shah had said.

Shah also said the BJP is happy that the Congress is taking Ambedkar’s name but the party should also speak about its real sentiments towards him.

Shah pointed out how Ambedkar had to resign from the first Cabinet citing his disagreement with the then Congress-led government’s policies including Article 370.

The home minister also said most of the memorials of Ambedkar were built when the BJP came to power.

“How appropriate is it for you to use the name of a person for vote bank politics whom you used to oppose?” Shah asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.