‘Congress, its rotten ecosystem and malicious lies’: PM’s scathing attack over Ambedkar row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lashed out at the Congress for “insulting” Dr BR Ambedkar and said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Union government have shown respect to India’s first law minister and follows his ideals.

“When it comes to Dr. Ambedkar, our respect and reverence is absolute,” Modi said in a series of posts on social media platform X.

Defending his cabinet colleague and Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament a day ago, PM Modi said, “...Amit Shah ji exposed the Congress’ dark history of insulting Dr. Ambedkar and ignoring the SC/ST Communities. They are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now indulging in theatrics! Sadly, for them, people know the truth!”

Stating that the “Congress cannot hide how they disrespected Ambedkar”, the prime minister said, “If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr. Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!”

While the opposition on Wednesday accused Shah of disrespecting Ambedkar during his speech in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Modi retorted by saying that attempts were in fact made by the Congress to obliterate Ambedkar’s legacy.

“The people of India have seen time and again how one party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities,” Modi said.

The prime minister accused the Congress of “getting him (Ambedkar) defeated in elections not once but twice”; the then PM Jawahar Lal Nehru of campaigning against him and making his loss a prestige issue; denying him Bharat Ratna and not allowing his portrait a place in Parliament’s Central Hall.

“The Congress can try as they want but they can’t deny that the worst massacres against SC/ST Communities have happened under their regimes. For years, they sat in power but did nothing substantive to empower the SC and ST communities,” the PM said.

Modi further elucidated the steps taken by the BJP-led central government for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and other backward sections and for giving Ambedkar the respect he deserved.

He said the Union government has worked tirelessly to fulfil the vision of Ambedkar over the last decade. “... Take any sector – be it removing 25 crore people from poverty, strengthening the SC/ST Act, our government’s flagship programmes like Swachh Bharat, PM Awas Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission, Ujjwala Yojana and more, each of them has touched the lives of the poor and marginalised,” Modi said.

The PM also made a mention of the Panchteerth, the five iconic places associated with Ambedkar that were built after 2014.

“For decades, there was a pending issue on land for Chaitya Bhoomi. Not only did our government resolve the issue, but I have also gone to pray there as well. We have also developed 26, Alipur Road in Delhi, where Dr. Ambedkar spent his last years,” he added.