Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, has criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah following his controversial remarks about B.R. Ambedkar, widely regarded as the architect of India’s Constitution.
Speaking to media persons on Wednesday, Tejashwi condemned Home Minister Shah’s comments as “highly objectionable” and alleged that they reflected the BJP and RSS’s larger agenda.
The RJD leader also accused Home Minister Shah’s remarks of revealing the BJP and RSS’s true intentions, citing the “17 seconds” of the latter’s statement as particularly telling.
“The BJP and RSS have a history of attacking prominent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Karpoori Thakur, Jawaharlal Nehru, and now Ambedkar. They (Jan Sangh and now RSS) had no role in India’s freedom struggle, were resorting to such attacks because they had “no achievements” to their name,” Yadav said.
He also accused the RSS and Jan Sangh of having “surrendered” to the British during the colonial era, a statement aimed at undermining their credibility in comparison to the towering leaders of the independence movement.
He also emphasised the significance of B.R. Ambedkar to the people of Bihar and the country, calling him a source of “fashion, passion, inspiration, and motivation”.
Tejashwi’s remarks were part of a broader condemnation by the RJD against Home Minister Shah’s controversial comments about Ambedkar.
The Bihar Opposition leader’s words were echoed by other RJD leaders, who also criticised Home Minister Shah’s statement.
Shiv Chandra Ram, an RJD MLA, targetted two Union Ministers — Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi — for their silence on the issue, despite both hailing from the Dalit and Mahadalit communities, respectively.
The RJD MLA accused both the Union Ministers of failing to speak out against the objectionable remarks made by Amit Shah and even claimed that the two leaders were “laughing” during Home Minister’s comments in the Parliament.
“We are highly disappointed that Paswan and Manjhi, who claim to represent Dalit and Mahadalit interests, seemed to be indifferent to the disrespect shown to Ambedkar, who is considered a hero for these communities. These leaders were more concerned with their own families and personal gains rather than genuinely advocating for the welfare of Dalits and Mahadalits,” he said.
