CM Yadav demands Cong apology over Ambedkar; party slams ‘bid’ to derail its Jan 27 rally

Bhopal, Jan 25 (PTI) Ahead of the Congress’ proposed ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ campaign, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the opposition party on Saturday slammed each other over Dr B R Ambedkar.

The Congress plans to launch the campaign on January 27 from Mhow, the birthplace of Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, and has said that it will continue till Union Minister Amit Shah apologises and resigns for “insulting” the national icon.

Yadav on Saturday demanded that Congress apologise for “disrespecting” Ambedkar, while the opposition claimed hurdles are being created to derail its event, which is scheduled to be attended by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and MP Priyanka Gandhi.

“Four generations (of the Gandhi family) have passed, but they have not forgotten their enmity with Ambedkar,” said Yadav at the BJP’s ‘Samvidhan Gaurav Abhiyan’ in Gwalior.

Dr Ambedkar was not given a place in the cabinet despite qualifications and ability, and his feelings were hurt by including Article 370, which gave a special status to Jammu and Kashmir, in the Constitution, Yadav said.

“(Jawaharlal) Nehru ji was afraid a person more capable than him might excel. Imagine what would have happened had Ambedkar ji moved ahead. Instead of taking out this yatra, Congress should apologise as Ambedkar ji’s soul was hurt due to his (Rahul Gandhi’s) great grandfather Nehru ji,” Yadav said.

He said Congress prime ministers Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi did nothing for Ambedkar.

On the contrary, the BJP always respected the contribution of Dr BR Ambedkar, he said.

Yadav said Ambedkar had formed his party but Nehru created obstacles to ensure he did not reach the Lok Sabha.

Congress has committed this sin, the CM said.

Yadav said Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays respect to the Constitution whenever he takes oath and he has brought Jammu and Kashmir into the mainstream. The Modi government in 2019 revoked the special status granted under Article 370 to J&K.

The MP CM accused the Congress of mocking the Constitution and said when a court declared the Congress PM (Indira Gandhi) disqualified, an Emergency was imposed in the country.

Congress general secretary in-charge of MP Jitendra Singh told reporters in Mhow that the state’s BJP government was creating hurdles in the way of their January 27 “mega rally”, which he claimed would be attended by 2 lakh people.

Union minister Amit Shah must apologise for his comment on Dr Ambedkar, he said. The Congress has been targeting Shah after he said during a Parliament session last year that “it has become a fashion” to chant Ambedkar’s name.

Singh said the BJP didn’t remember the Constitution when MPs were suspended in Lok Sabha and Rahul Gandhi’s membership of Parliament was taken away.

“However, it was only after the BJP, which had raised the slogan of crossing 400 seats, got just 240 seats in the Lok Sabha polls that they realised the power of the Constitution,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh Congress has made grand preparations for the event in a very short time due to which the BBJP is frustrated, he said.

“BJP is using all tricks to sabotage the event. Despite this, lakhs of Congressmen and followers of Dr Ambedkar will gather at his birthplace Mhow to protect the Constitution in the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally,” the Congress leader later said in a press release. PTI ADU NR