Amit Shah should resign, give up politics: Lalu
Patna (PTI): Attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Thursday said he should resign from the cabinet and "give up politics".
Prasad, a veteran politician, was responding to queries from reporters about the controversy that erupted over Shah's speech in Rajya Sabha earlier this week.
"Amit Shah has gone mad. He is obviously full of hatred for our revered Babasaheb. I strongly condemn his madness," he said.
When Prasad was asked whether he too was in favour of the demand for Shah's resignation, he replied in the affirmative, but with characteristic bluntness.
"Of course, I want Shah out of the cabinet. He should resign. Not only that, he should give up politics," said the RJD supremo, who has been a staunch opponent of the BJP for decades.
During a debate on Constitution in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah had said, "Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai - Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete to saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God's name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven)."
He had also said the BJP was happy that the Congress was taking Ambedkar's name but it should also speak about its real sentiments towards him, and went on to narrate incidents where the opposition party had denied the respect due to him.
On Wednesday, Shah hit back at the Congress that is leading the opposition's attack on him, alleging the party twisted facts and distorted his comments.
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Father says Ashwin was being humiliated; off-spinner plays it down as "dad comment"
Chennai, Dec 19: Just-retired R Ashwin's father Ravichandran kicked up a controversy on Thursday by claiming that "humiliation" could have been a reason for his son's decision to call it quits but the veteran off-spinner made light of the "dad comment", blaming it on lack of media training.
Ashwin dropped a bombshell on Wednesday when he announced his retirement from top-flight cricket at the end of the drawn third Test against Australia in Brisbane. He flew back to Chennai the same evening and was welcomed warmly by his family and friends here on Thursday morning.
Although Ashwin described his decision as an "instinctive" call that was on his mind for a while, his father raised eyebrows by hinting at other factors, including humiliation.
"I too came to know at the last minute. The way in which he gave that (retirement), there could be many reasons. Only Ashwin knows, maybe humiliation," Ravichandran told 'CNN News18'.
However, Ashwin later tried to douse the fire, saying his father was not "media trained" and his comment should not be taken seriously.
"My father isn't media trained, dey father inneda ithelaam (what's all this, father). I never thought you will follow this rich tradition of 'dad statements'," he quipped after the comment became a viral social media trend.
"Request you all to forgive him and leave him alone," Ashwin wrote on X.
Earlier, Ravichandran said the family was expecting Ashwin's retirement for some time because "humiliation was going on", though he didn't reveal the exact nature of it.
"The sudden change – retirement – gave us a shock. We were expecting it because humiliation was going on. How long he can tolerate all those things? Probably, he would have decided on his own," he said.
"It's his wish and desire, I cannot interfere in that. The way he gave his retirement, one part I was very happy, another part not happy because he should have continued," he added.
Ashwin had told the media in Brisbane that he has a "bit of punch left" in him, hinting at reasons more than mere cricketing.
Washington Sundar was picked ahead of the seasoned off-spinner, who has 537 Test wickets, for the first game in Perth. The 38-year-old found a place in the eleven for the Pink Ball Test at Adelaide.
However, Ashwin was again benched for the third Test at the 'Gabba' as Ravindra Jadeja started in that match.
India skipper Rohit Sharma revealed that he had a chat with Ashwin on the sidelines of the Perth Test and convinced him to stay for the day-night game.
"...this was on his mind and there are obviously a lot of things that went behind it. When I arrived in Perth, this was a chat we had and I somehow convinced him to stay for that pink ball Test match," Rohit had revealed in his press conference on Wednesday.
"Then after that it just happened so that he felt that if I (Ashwin) am not needed right now in the series, I am better off saying goodbye to the game," he added.
Ashwin will continue to play club cricket and will be turning up for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL next year.
