The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a protest outside the Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday, calling for the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah over his recent remarks regarding Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The protest was led by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, who emphasized the significance of Ambedkar’s contributions to the rights of Indian citizens.
In a press conference, Thackeray stated, “In this country, it was possible because of Babasaheb Ambedkar that the citizens have been provided rights. We all believe that such a person is God. All the hatred that Amit Shah had against Babasaheb Ambedkar came out in his speech… we are not going to accept this. This is very wrong.”
Thackeray also took to social media platform X, expressing that insulting Ambedkar is tantamount to insulting the nation. He wrote, “The Maha Vikas Aghadi protested today at Samvidhan Chowk in Nagpur to protest against the insults done to the Constitution and Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Ambedkar with a hateful attitude. Insulting Babasaheb is an insult to the country. This insult has hurt all the lovers of the Constitution. The Union Home Minister will have to apologize for this insult! Hail Bhima! Hail the Constitution!”
In response to the protest, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Girish Mahajan dismissed the demonstration as a “gimmick” by opposition leaders. Mahajan stated, “I think this protest is a gimmick of the opposition leaders. There is nothing horrible about this. Amit Shah had disclosed that he had not done this purposely. It is very upsetting that he is being denied admission to every state of the country. The opposition wants to bring people’s attention by raising unreasonable issues.”
The protest was sparked by Shah’s earlier comments, in which he criticized the Congress party for allegedly using Ambedkar’s name for political gain. He remarked, “If they had taken the name of God so many times instead of Ambedkar, they would have got heaven for seven lives.”
The MVA’s demonstration highlights ongoing tensions between the ruling BJP and opposition parties in Maharashtra, particularly regarding the legacy of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a key figure in India’s constitutional development.
