Kharge submits privilege notice in RS against Shah over Ambedkar remarks
New Delhi (PTI): Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday submitted a privilege notice against Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks against B R Ambedkar.
In his notice submitted to the RS Chairman, Kharge alleged that the remarks made by Shah were an insult to the architect of the Constitution and amounted to breach of privilege and contempt of the House.
"I hereby give a notice of question of privilege against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs under Rule 188 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha)," Kharge said in his notice.
He said on December 17, Shah during his reply in the Rajya Sabha on the discussion on 'Glorious journey of 75 years of the Constitution of India', had referred to Ambedkar which was "insulting and defamatory".
"...it is well established that any misconduct in the presence of the House or casting reflections and making defamatory statements constitute a breach of privilege and contempt of the House," he noted.
Kharge also claimed that the wording as well as the tone and tenor of the remarks made by the Home minister "are clearly satirical and made in a very bad taste".
"To use the name of Dr B R Ambedkar, the chief architect of Constitution of India, is a clear cut insult to Dr Ambedkar. There remarks which have been made on the floor of the House are outright derogatory in nature and affront to Dr Ambedkar," he claimed in his notice.
Noting that such a conduct by the home minister is tantamount to breach of privilege and contempt of the house, Kharge said, "In view of the foregoing I request that privilege proceedings may be initiated against Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Home Affairs."
Sharing Kharge's privilege notice in a post on X, AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji has submitted a privilege notice against the Union Home Minister for his insulting remarks on Dr. Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha on Dec 17, 2024".
The Congress and other opposition parties are seeking the resignation and sacking of Shah for his remarks.
Shah on Wednesday accused the Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments in the Rajya Sabha related to Ambedkar after BJP leaders "exposed" the opposition party's repeated "insults" to the architect of the Constitution.
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Congress worker’s death during protest sparks political row in Assam
Guwahati: The death of Mridul Islam, a 45-year-old Congress worker and advocate, during the party’s ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ protest in Guwahati on Wednesday has triggered a political storm in Assam. The Congress accused the Himanta Sarma-led state government of attempting to intimidate protesters through excessive force.
Islam, a district-level office bearer in the Congress’s legal cell, reportedly complained of breathing difficulties after police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. He was rushed to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) but was declared dead on arrival.
The protest, part of a nationwide Congress campaign against the BJP-led central government on issues such as the Gautam Adani controversy and the Manipur crisis, saw over 1,000 participants marching from Latasil towards Raj Bhavan. The situation escalated when the police, citing a lack of permission for the march, used three tear gas shells to halt the demonstrators, who had breached two layers of barricades.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah stated that a post-mortem is underway to determine the cause of death. He claimed no lathi charge or other forms of force were used and that the tear gas shells were rolled on the ground to release smoke. However, Congress leaders allege that the tear gas was deployed excessively and directly under protestors' faces.
Congress worker Supriya Ahmed, who was present at the protest, recounted that Islam felt unwell after inhaling smoke from the tear gas. He was first taken to a private hospital and then referred to GMCH. The Congress has filed a complaint at the Latasil police station, demanding strict action against the police for what it described as “unlawful use of force.”
Assam Congress president Bhupen Borah described Islam as the “first martyr” in their fight against BJP governance in the state and called for a high-level inquiry into the incident. He also rejected the police’s claim that the march lacked permission, presenting a letter allegedly submitted to the Police Commissionerate a day prior to the protest.
The incident also drew condemnation from the Gauhati Press Club after several journalists covering the protest were affected by the tear gas.
