Clamour for Shah’s ouster grows as Oppn MPs carry out protest march to Parl

New Delhi: Opposition MPs staged a protest at Vijay Chowk here on Friday demanding Home Minister Amit Shah’s apology and resignation for allegedly “insulting” BR Ambedkar.

They also carried out a protest march from Vijay Chowk to the Parliament.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the BJP over the FIR filed against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying it “shows their desperation level”.

She asserted that national interest is connected with the issue of the insult inflicted on Ambedkar.

“Our Constitution has been provided by Dr Ambedkar, the people of the country and the freedom struggle, and the country will not tolerate his insult,” she said.

Priyanka joined several other INDIA bloc MPs at Vijay Chowk to protest against Shah’s remarks as they demanded Shah’s apology and resignation over the issue.

She was seen carrying a placard which read ‘Babasaheb ka apman nahi sahega Hindustan’.

The MPs raised slogans such as ‘Jai Bhim’ ‘Amit Shah Maafi Mango’ and ‘istifa do’.

The protest comes a day after separate marches by Opposition and ruling party MPs over the alleged insult to Ambedkar led to jostling on the Parliament premises, leaving BJP MPs Pratap Chandra Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput injured.

The BJP has accused Rahul of pushing the senior member, a charge rejected by the Congress leader.

The Opposition on Wednesday had seized on Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar to corner the government and demanded his resignation for what they called was an insult to the architect of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the protest against Shah by the Congress was observed in various states, including Patna, Mumbai and Manipur.

Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee on Friday held a demonstration. Congress workers led by Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader O Ibobi Singh and state Congress president Keisham Meghachandra held banners and raised slogans demanding an apology from Shah.

In Jammu, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress continued protests for the second consecutive day. Led by Jammu and Kashmir Congress president Tariq Hamid Karra, scores of party workers, leaders, former ministers and ex-legislators marched at Satwari Chowk to protest against Shah’s remarks.

“On one side, there was a discussion in Parliament on the Constitution and on the other, the Union Home Minister made derogatory remarks against Ambedkar. It is very unfortunate. Insults to the great leader cannot be tolerated,” Karra told reporters.