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As a culmination of protests and bandhs held across Karnataka over the past month condemning Union Minister Amit Shah’s remarks about B R Ambedkar, a union of Dalit organisations held a demonstration at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Thursday.
The protesters demanded that Shah publicly apologise by bowing down before an Ambedkar statue for his statement in Parliament. They also supported Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his cabinet colleague Priyank Kharge against the “politics of conspiracy” that they alleged the BJP was pursuing in the Congress-ruled state.
Speaking at the demonstration, author and activist Indudhar Honnapur said Shah did not deserve to continue as the home minister of the country. “Shah should bow down in front of Ambedkar’s statue and publicly apologise. If (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a responsible leader and has even a speck of respect for Ambedkar, then he should sack Shah,” he said.
During the winter session of Parliament in December last year, Shah triggered a row by saying that it had become a fashion to chant “Ambedkar”. “If they chanted God’s name as many times, they would be in heaven for seven lives,” the BJP leader added in the Rajya Sabha.
“The BJP and the RSS are trying to fool Dalits using Ambedkar’s name,” Honnapur further said, accusing them of trying to appropriate Ambedkar despite being opposed to his ideals.
Prominent Dalit activist Mavalli Shankar condemned SC/ST leaders who have not criticised Shah’s remarks about Ambedkar, alleging that the lives of all Dalits were getting worse because of some individuals in the community who have become “slaves”.
The convenor of the Shoshitha Samudayagala Maha Okkoota, the union, also extended support to Siddaramaiah and Kharge.
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