NEW DELHI: Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah for insulting BR Ambedkar and the Indian Constitution during a recent session in Rajya Sabha.
He stated that no government in the past had disrespected the Constitution or its architect in this way.
Speaking at the ‘Gandhi Bharat’ event in Belagavi, Karnataka, organized to commemorate the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi presiding over the Congress session in 1924, Vadra alleged that the BJP intended to weaken the Constitution and its institutions.
“Many governments have come and gone, including non-Congress governments, but no government had a minister who appeared in Parliament and insulted Ambedkar,” he said. Vadra argued that the BJP’s ideological roots in the RSS encouraged it to insult Ambedkar and his principles. He also claimed that members of the RSS had burnt Ambedkar’s effigy in the past.
He said the BJP’s priorities were neither the country nor democracy and accused the party of being “anti-constitutional” due to its ideological stance. “They are against the Constitution because their founder and his ideology made fun of the Constitution and the national flag, describing them as foreign and unfavorable,” he said.
Vadra also reminded the audience of the BJP’s controversial Constitution Review Committee, alleging that it was part of its agenda to undermine social justice, reservation and the judiciary. He criticized BJP-led policies, including amendments to the SEBI Act, weakening of the Lokpal Bill and labor laws, for being detrimental to the people.
Highlighting atrocities against women in BJP-ruled states, she said the party was protecting criminals instead of victims. Vadra also accused the BJP of implementing laws that harmed farmers, referring to the protests against the now-repealed farm laws, which resulted in the deaths of 700 farmers.
In his speech, he told the audience: “In 2024, the people taught the BJP a lesson, which was good because it scared Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After that, when he went to Parliament, he bowed before the Constitution. You did it do this.”
Themed ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’, the event also focused on reinforcing Ambedkar’s legacy and criticizing the BJP for what the Congress alleged were attempts to erode India’s democratic values.