Prakash Ambedkar: Failure to Act on One Nation One Election Bills Will Undermine Democracy

Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr. BR Ambedkar, has accused Home Minister Amit Shah of reflecting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “same old mentality” in his remarks about the architect of the Indian Constitution. Ambedkar claimed that the BJP “will continue to sulk” because they cannot implement their plans due to Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy.

Prakash Ambedkar, who leads the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), pointed out that before the BJP’s formation, its predecessors, Jan Sangh and the RSS, had opposed Dr. Ambedkar when the Constitution was being adopted. He argued that Shah’s statement only brings the BJP’s longstanding mindset into the open.

“There is nothing new in Shah’s statement. They are frustrated because they cannot execute their old plans—not because of Congress, but because of Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Prakash Ambedkar said.

He further criticized Shah’s remarks, suggesting that they implied reverence for God over Dr. Ambedkar. According to Prakash Ambedkar, revering Dr. Ambedkar, the father of the Constitution, is tied to upholding freedom of speech, whereas revering God aligns with “manuwad” (a term used to describe caste-based discrimination).

Shah’s comments had caused an uproar in Parliament, with several MPs from the INDIA bloc staging protests, accusing him of insulting Dr. Ambedkar. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared a video of Shah’s speech, where Shah mocked the frequent invocation of Ambedkar’s name in opposition circles, suggesting that if they had praised God as much, they would have earned a place in heaven. Congress has called for a public apology from Shah.

Prakash Ambedkar’s Stance on One Nation One Election

Prakash Ambedkar has also voiced his opposition to the One Nation One Election proposal, warning that the passage of bills for simultaneous Lok Sabha and state elections would effectively spell the end of political parties. He stressed that the Congress must take a firm stance on the issue in the coming days, as failing to do so would mark the beginning of the end for political diversity. Ambedkar also stated that the implementation of simultaneous elections could lead to a dictatorship and undermine the fundamental structure of parliamentary democracy.