“Can’t bulldoze Ambedkar’s legacy”: Congress MP Maickam Tagore

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar, saying that he can’t “bulldoze” Ambedkar’s legacy which remains a voice for the oppressed communities.

“Yesterday, Amit Shah who believes in Manuwaad and who is a follower of Savarkar has expressed his anti-mindset of Ambedkar (anti-Ambedkar mindset)…We will try to say to him ‘Ambedkar Jai’…because he can’t just bulldoze Ambedkar’s legacy. Ambedkar legacy means voice for those oppressed communities of OBCs, SCs and STs, and all other minorities. We know that ‘manuvaad’ and Savarkar’s thinking will be against Babasaheb Ambedkar. We will not allow them to win, we will fight it out and in Parliament also there is a Congress MPs’ meeting and after that also INDIA leaders will also meet. We will all voice our concern and we want an apology from Amit Shah,” Tagore told ANI.

This came after Amit Shah, in his address in the Rajya Sabha at the conclusion of a two-day discussion in Rajya Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution on Tuesday, lashed out at the Congress party and said that it had become a ‘fashion’ for the party to take Ambedkar’s name.

The opposition also carried out protests at the Parliament premises today, holding Dr Ambedkar’s photograph. As this happened, both houses of the Parliament – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha – were adjourned till 2:00 PM today.

Speaking on the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill, Tagore said that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari not being part of the voting indicates confusion in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said that it was a failed experiment and it would remain on paper only.

“It’s a failed attempt…There is confusion among the BJP itself. Leaders like Nitin Gadkari were not part of the voting yesterday. It shows that there is confusion in the BJP itself on One Nation One Election. This is a failed experiment and they are not able to get the 2/3rd majority in the Parliament. Yesterday itself we saw that thing. One Nation One Election won’t happen, it’s only on paper. Because of the arrogance and ego of Mr Modi, he is trying to push it. He does not have the support within his party…” Tagore said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP K Suresh on Wednesday said that Congress will oppose the ‘One Nation, One Election’ bill in the Joint-Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

“We are certainly against the bill. Yesterday, we asked for division…Our want study is very clear. We are totally against the One Nation One Election. In the JPC also we will strongly oppose this…” Suresh told ANI.

Earlier, the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill was introduced, proposing the ‘One Nation, One Election’ policy, which seeks to hold simultaneous elections for both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The bill has been sent to a JPC for detailed discussions.

The Speaker of Lok Sabha announced the result of the vote on the introduction of the bill. The vote showed 269 members in favour (Ayes) and 196 against (Noes). This followed Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal’s formal introduction of the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, on ‘One Nation, One Election’ and his agreement to send the bill to a JPC in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Shah said, “When the One Nation, One Election Bill was taken up in the cabinet for approval, PM Modi had said that it should be sent to the JPC for detailed discussion. If the Law Minister is willing to send the bill to JPC, the discussion on its introduction can end.”