M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress president, and Basavaraj Horatti, Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman, sharing a light moment in the presence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during the unveiling of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in front of the Suvarna Soudha in Belagavi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: P.K. BADIGER
Congress president M. Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday countered the BJP’s constant allegation that the party had “insulted” B.R. Ambedkar and his legacy, arguing that the saffron party was only “repeating a lie” in the hope of “twisting history” to create artificial differences between leaders such as Gandhiji and Ambedkar.
Not reading enough
“The BJP and the RSS are trying to create differences between leaders by twisting history. They are telling false tales to make us believe there were serious differences or even disputes between Gandhiji and Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar. These are far from true. But we tend to believe them as we are not doing enough reading ourselves,” he said, speaking at the Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan rally here. The rally was held to commemorate the centenary of the only Congress session chaired by Gandhiji, which was held in Belagavi in 1924.
“The question of the Congress insulting Dr. Ambedkar does not arise at all. It was the Congress that ensured that Dr. Ambedkar was elected to the Rajya Sabha twice unopposed. M.R. Jayakar quit his Rajya Sabha seat on the advice of Congress senior leaders. Dr. Ambedkar was accommodated in his place,” he said.
Gandhiji had suggested that Dr. Ambedkar be appointed the president of the Constitution drafting committee, and leaders like Nehru had agreed to it, said Mr. Kharge. “It was the Congress that installed a statue of Dr. Ambedkar in front of the Parliament building. Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, S. Radhakrishnan was the President of India, and Hukum Singh was the Speaker. It is the BJP that shifted the statue to a corner of the Parliament premises, away from the eyes of visitors,” he added.
Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC chairman, speaking at the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally in Belagavi on Tuesday. Badiger PK
| Photo Credit:
P.K. BADIGER
Mr. Kharge also countered the BJP-RSS leaders’ allegation that Congress was responsible for the defeat suffered by Ambedkar in the Lok Sabha election. He read out from the copy of a handwritten letter by Ambedkar to his friend Kamalakant, in which he said that Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar and Communist leader S.A. Dange were responsible for his defeat.
When leaders agreed
He read out from a speech of Ambedkar made in the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha meeting in Belagavi district in 1924, where he said he welcomed Gandhiji’s vow to fight for the abolition of untouchability. “Dr. Ambedkar said he would support Gandhiji as he was speaking his language. These are all well documented and we should know them,” he advised his partymen. “The BJP worships Savarkar and his follower and Gandhiji’s killer Nathuram Godse, who were spreading the ideology of hatred and division. They do not worship our heroes who fought for unity and love.”
“It is clear that the BJP is trying to create differences between leaders who fought for us, our rights and our interests. We should be wary of such ploys,” he said.
He reiterated his demand for the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks about Ambedkar in Parliament. “What does Mr. Shah mean by saying that you would have gone to heaven if you had chanted God’s name as many times as you took Dr. Ambedkar’s name? It means that Dr. Ambedkar’s is not worthy of adulation,” he said.
Published – January 21, 2025 08:57 pm IST