They also refuted allegations that Gandhi shoved and injured two ruling party lawmakers, and alleged that BJP members shoved Kharge and injured his knees.
“Their full time job was to create one distraction or the other. We have been saying from the beginning that the thinking of BJP-RSS is anti-constitutional, anti-Ambedkar thinking and they want to erase the memory of Ambedkar, his contribution, they want to end it and directly their minister, home minister directly showed their mindset in front of everyone,” Gandhi said.
He also alleged that the “main issue” was the allegation of corruption against the Adani Group in the US, and said that the BJP worked to stop any discussion on it.
“Today we had a protest, we came out from Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue, his idol and we were coming in a line in a peaceful manner, but I don’t know what came into their mind. We were walking, they came to Makar Dwar and sat there to stop us, and Parliament time was also over and there were five minutes left, so we wanted to go inside, but they stopped us at the door and stopped us in such a way as to show their muscle power, there were so many of their male MPs there, don’t even ask,” Kharge said.
Gandhi reiterated the Congress’s demand for Shah’s resignation.
“We said that there should be an apology and he should resign… he did not do it. Today again they have started a new distraction. We all MPs were peacefully going to the Parliament House from Ambedkar ji’s statue, BJP MPs stood in front of us with sticks on the steps of the Parliament House, not letting us go inside and after that now they are again trying to create this distraction. The reality is that they have insulted Ambedkar ji, there should be an apology for it and the home minister should resign,” he said.
“The main issue which they are trying to erase, they are trying to divert that there is a case against Narendra Modi ji’s friend Adani ji in the US, he has been indicted there and Narendra Modi Ji is selling India to Adani ji. This is the main issue and these people do not want a discussion on it,” Gandhi said.
Kharge added that women members of the Congress were also stopped. “So that’s why they forcefully attacked us and I am already not in a position to push anyone, but those people pushed me myself. I could not maintain my balance, I sat down,” he said.
Kharge questioned the mentality of the BJP and called it reprehensible.
The two leaders repeatedly referred to the row over Shah’s comments on Ambedkar earlier this week. During his reply to the debate marking 75 years of the Constitution on Tuesday, Shah had attacked the Congress and alleged the opposition party repeatedly disrespected Ambedkar. “It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… If they had taken God’s name so many times, they would have secured a place in heaven for seven lifetimes…,” he said.
The INDIA bloc parties shared clips of the first part of his statement and demanded Shah’s resignation. The BJP dismissed the allegations with Modi accusing the Congress of spreading malicious lies and Shah accusing the Congress of “distorting” his statement to create an “illusion” that he insulted Ambedkar.
Recalling Shah’s comments on chanting god’s name, Kharge quipped that similar advice should be given to Adani. “They are giving ports, airports, roads, whatever is above the ground, below the ground, to Adani. He should also be told this every day.”
The Congress president said Shah not only made a mistake but also refused to accept it. “We also told you the same yesterday that our demand is that he should resign, if not then at least our Prime Minister should dismiss him. But we came to know that he is not going to dismiss him, he is not going to leave.”
Kharge said that the Congress will not tolerate “the kind of environment these BJP people have created” and that it was planning a nationwide movement. “The House which was running peacefully, they, the government, the BJP government has done the work of disrupting that House, that is, disturbing the peace.”
The Congress chief also said that whatever the BJP leaders said about Nehru and his rift with Ambedkar were lies.
