Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar, extension of long-standing RSS ideology: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru, Dec18 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday hit out at Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks on B R Ambedkar, calling it an insult to the chief architect of the Constitution. Shah’s remarks in Parliament are just an extension of long-standing RSS ideology, he said.

The chief minister said without Ambedkar’s contributions, Shah wouldn’t be the Home Minister and Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.

The CM was referring to Shah’s remarks taking a swipe at the opposition, during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha.

“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.

For the Congress party and him (Siddaramaiah), Ambedkar is not a “fashion” but an “eternal inspiration”, the CM said.

In an open letter to Shah, the CM said, “First, let me congratulate you for finally speaking the truth by openly revealing the BJP’s real opinion about Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Your statement in Parliament didn’t surprise us; we already knew your party’s true mindset. But now, the entire country has seen your lack of respect for the architect of the Indian Constitution.”