The controversy arose from Shah's address in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, during which he criticized the Congress party, suggesting it had become a "fashion" for them to frequently invoke Ambedkar's name. He remarked, "If they had taken the name of God so many times instead of Ambedkar, then they would have got heaven for seven lives."
In response, Opposition MPs accused Shah of insulting Dr. Ambedkar and staged protests within the Parliament premises, displaying photos of the architect of the Constitution. Congress MP Manickam Tagore moved an adjournment motion on Wednesday morning to discuss Shah's remarks.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju defended Shah, alleging that it was the Congress that had historically conspired against Ambedkar. He questioned their respect for the former Minister of Law and Justice of India, highlighting that despite Ambedkar's contributions, the Congress had worked to defeat him in elections. Rijiju also noted that he is the first Buddhist to hold the position of Union Law Minister after Ambedkar, stating, "Today, I am the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Ministers Arjun Meghwal and L Murugan, all three of us, come from the same practice as Ambedkar. I am the first Buddhist to become Law Minister after 71 years. PM Modi ensured that I sit in Ambedkar's chair."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also criticized the Congress, asserting that Shah had exposed the party's history of insulting Ambedkar. In a series of posts, PM Modi claimed that the Congress had remained in power for years without taking substantive actions to empower the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities. He stated, "In Parliament, 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! 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 Parliament is expected to address this issue further when it reconvenes on December 19.