Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar.
The political situation became tense after Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a statement to Baba Saheb Ambedkar in Parliament, which leveled many allegations against Shah. The statement also carries many political implications, with both political parties believed to be hoping to weaken the Dalit vote bank by portraying themselves as more of Ambedkar’s supporters.
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, known around the world as Baba Saheb, became the center not only of the Indian constitution but also of politics. Untouchables and exploited society looked to Dr. Ambedkar as their savior. This is why the political parties and ideologies that Ambedkar fought against throughout his life are trying their best to accommodate him today.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Constitution, Parliament held a long discussion on the Constitution for four days, with Ambedkar at the center of the discussion. With the help of Ambedkar, people took oath to the constitution and played politics. Meanwhile, a political fight broke out after Home Minister Amit Shah issued a statement on Dr Ambedkar.
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Union Home Minister Amit Shah in his speech spoke about the legacy of Dr Ambedkar and said “today, naming after Ambedkar has become a fashion”. Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, if you call the name of God so often, you will go to heaven for seven lifetimes.
Amit Shah further said, “We are happy that Ambedkar’s name has been adopted.” Repeat Ambedkar’s name 100 times but at the same time, I will tell you how you feel about Ambedkar ji. Why did Ambedkar Ji resign from the country’s first cabinet? Ambedkar Ji has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the treatment of scheduled castes and tribes. I don’t agree with the government’s foreign policy and I don’t agree with Article 370, so I want to leave the cabinet. He was assured. When the guarantees were not fulfilled, he resigned out of ignorance.
This is part of Amit Shah’s statement: Taking Ambedkar’s name has become a fashion. Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, if you call the name of God so often, you will go to heaven for seven lifetimes. Many opposition parties, including the Congress, objected to this and demanded an apology from him. Opposition leaders, including the Congress party, also demonstrated in Parliament, with Malikajun Haq even asking Prime Minister Modi to sack Amit Shah from the cabinet.
Dar will not accept my resignation – Shah
Amit Shah clarified his remarks about Ambedkar in the Union House at a press conference on Wednesday. He said parliamentary discussions should be based on facts and truth. The same thing was done by members of the BJP. When it turned out that the Congress was anti-Ambedkar, anti-reservation, anti-Constitution, the Congress resorted to its old tactics and started distorting its rhetoric. Hager asked me to resign, and he was pleased, so maybe I would, but that wouldn’t help him. Now he will sit there for 15 years, and my resignation will not make him lose his temper.
PM Modi takes power after protests
The discussion that started with the Constitution reached the point of insulting Ambedkar. Regarding Amit Shah’s statement, the Congress tweeted that the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders have a lot of hatred for Baba Saheb Ambedkar in their hearts. Rahul Gandhi wrote on social media that those who believe in Manusmriti will definitely face trouble with Ambedkar.
To counter the opposition’s move by insulting Ambedkar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to put the Congress in the dock with six consecutive posts on social media.
The long list of sins of the Congress party – PM Modi
Prime Minister Modi said drama has begun in the Congress now when Home Minister Amit Shah revealed in Parliament its dark history of insulting Ambedkar and ignoring Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Prime Minister said the Congress had committed many sins against Dr Ambedkar, which also included his defeat in elections twice.
Focus on vote banks in Ambedkar’s name?
In this politics of insulting and respecting Ambedkar, the BJP said the Congress always insulted Dr. Ambedkar, even during his lifetime and after his death. Meanwhile, the Congress is trying to show that the BJP has no respect for Ambedkar and the Constitution. In this way, both of them set their sights on the general vote bank in the name of Ambedkar, who regarded Baba Saheb as the savior of politics and society.
Dr. Ambedkar showed a new direction not only to the Dalit community but also to the exploited and oppressed people of the country and gave them respect through the Constitution. That is why there is a strategy to target the vote bank of Dalits and backward class people of the country on the pretext of insulting and respecting Ambedkar. A political battle has broken out from parliament to the streets as the Dalit community is a major force in the country’s politics.
Number of Dalits in the country crosses 2014 million
According to the 2011 census, Dalits account for approximately 16.63% of the country’s population, meaning that Dalits account for 201.4 million of the total population. Scheduled castes exist in 31 states and Union Territories of the country, divided into 1,241 ethnic groups. In the country, 76.4% of Dalits live in rural areas and 23.6% in urban areas. There are 543 seats in the NPC. Of these, 84 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes, but their political influence exceeds 150 seats.
If we observe the voting pattern in Dalit-dominated Lok Sabha seats as per CSDS data, the BJP got 31% of Dalit votes in 2024. In 2019, this figure was 34%. The BJP lost 3% of its vote, while its allies also secured 2% of the vote. This time, 19% of the Dalit community voted for the Congress. The Congress allies, especially the Samajwadi Party, have benefited hugely from Dalit votes. As a result, the BJP’s seat count has declined.
If we look at the results in 156 Dalit-dominated seats, the opposition alliance won 93 seats and the NDA won 57 seats. Of the 156 seats with Dalit votes, the opposition gained 53 seats this time compared to 2019 and the NDA lost 34 seats. As early as 2014 and 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party won overwhelming votes from Dalits, and Prime Minister Modi successfully formed the government with a majority.
Why did Congress insult Baba Saheb?
The Congress-led Indian alliance successfully crafted the 2024 constitution and the narrative of reservations, alienating the Dalit community from the BJP. In the Lok Sabha elections, Rahul Gandhi took the Constitution to seek votes, and later in Parliament, many opposition members also took oaths on the Constitution. That is why the Congress hopes to win the trust of the Dalit community by treating Amit Shah’s statement in the Lok Sabha as an insult to Baba Saheb.
By raising issues that insult Ambedkar, the Congress is trying to make inroads among Dalit voters, against which the Congress has adopted an aggressive stance. The reason is that the BJP is trying to put the Congress in the dock against Ambedkar and anti-Dalit. With this, both the BJP and the Congress have set their sights on the Dalit vote bank. That is why the Congress raised the largest Dalit Mallikarjun Kharge and opened a battle line against Amit Shah’s statement.
Punjab has the largest Dalit population
In 74 districts across the country, the Dalit population exceeds 25%, which means that one in every four voters is a Dalit. Dalit voters play a very important role in elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Seeing the political strength of Dalits, political parties in the country are trying to bring them into their fold. The state with the largest Dalit population is Punjab. Dalits account for 31.9% here and 20.7% of Dalits in Uttar Pradesh. In this way, Dalit voters have the power to decide or break the power play, for which Ambedkar is no less than God.
