"Congress has no right to comment": Ramdas Athawale amid row over Amit Shah's remark on Ambedkar

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): Union Minister Ramdas Athawale supported Home Minister Amit Shah, who's facing backlash from the opposition over his recent remark on BR Ambedkar saying that Congress has no right to comment on the matter. He also pointed out that the party had allegedly failed BR Ambedkar twice in the past.
Athawale claimed that Shah was emphasising how Congress had insulted Ambedkar, rather than disrespecting him himself.
"I feel Congress has no right to comment...what he was trying to say was that Congress failed BR Ambedkar twice, because of Congress, he had to resign from the Law Minister post...they (Congress) insulted Ambedkar, this was what he (Amit Shah) was saying," the Union Minister said.
A massive political row has erupted over Amit Shah's remarks on BR Ambedkar during his speech in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. Congress has accused Shah of being anti-Ambedkar and has demanded his resignation.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha LoP and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday criticised Shah's remark on Babasaheb Ambedkar demanding an apology from Shah for his remarks during the Constitution debate in the Rajya Sabha.
While addressing a press conference in the national capital, Kharge also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah by midnight if he truly respects Ambedkar.
"We demand that Amit Shah should apologize and if PM Modi has faith in Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar then he should be sacked by midnight... He has no right to remain in the cabinet, he should be sacked only then people will remain silent, otherwise, people will protest. People are ready to sacrifice their lives for Dr BR Ambedkar," he said.
Meanwhile, accusing the Congress of being "anti-BR Ambedkar, anti-reservation and anti-Constitution," Shah on Wednesday said the opposition party has been presenting facts about his speech in Rajya Sabha in a distorted way.
Addressing a press conference here, Amit Shah also attacked Congress over the Emergency and said the discussion in Parliament on 150 years of the Constitution "proved how the Congress opposed Baba Saheb Ambedkar."
"Since yesterday, Congress has been presenting the facts in a distorted way and I condemn it... Congress is anti-BR Ambedkar, it is against reservation and the Constitution. Congress also insulted Veer Savarkar. By imposing an Emergency, they violated all Constitutional values," he said.
"A discussion was held over the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. During this, we also held discussions over the country's achievements in the last 75 years. It is obvious that parties and people will have different points of view on different issues. But discussion should always be held based on facts," he added.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended Amit Shah's remarks and said that the union minister exposed the Congress' "dark history of insulting" Baba Saheb Ambedkar after "which they were clearly stung and stunned" by the facts he presented. (ANI)