No govt in past 'insulted' Ambedkar the way Amit Shah did: Priyanka Gandhi
Belagavi (Karnataka), Jan 21 (PTI): Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said no government in the past had insulted the Constitution and its architect B R Ambedkar inside Parliament the way Union Home Minister Amit Shah had.
She alleged that the BJP wanted to "weaken" the Constitution and its institutions.
"Many governments have come and gone, including non-Congress governments, but no government had a minister who stood in Parliament and insulted Ambedkar," Priyanka Gandhi said at the 'Gandhi Bharat' event organised in Belagavi.
The Congress organised the event to commemorate the centenary of the lone Congress session Mahatma Gandhi had chaired as the party’s president in 1924.
Themed as 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan', the event targetted Union Home Minister Amit Shah for "insulting" the Indian Constitution and its architect B R Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha recently.
Vadra said people never imagined that Ambedkar would be "insulted" inside Parliament. By doing so, Shah had "insulted" the country and the freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for it, she alleged.
According to her, Shah dared to "insult" Ambedkar and the Constitution because, while the country fought for independence, another ideological stream emerged that was "anti-constitution".
Vadra also alleged that RSS members had burned Ambedkar’s effigy and criticised him.
She said the BJP, being the offspring of the RSS, felt emboldened to "insult" Ambedkar and his Constitution.
"However, in 2024, the people taught the BJP a lesson, which was good because it scared Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After that, when he went to Parliament, he bowed before the Constitution. You made him do this," she said.
Noting that the BJP's priorities are not the country, the Constitution, democracy, or its people, she said Modi and Shah are "anti-Constitution" because their ideologies go against it and the diversity of the country.
"They are against the Constitution because their founder and ideology mocked the Constitution and the national flag, calling them foreign and inauspicious," Vadra said.
She also alleged that when the BJP came to power at the Centre, it constituted a Constitution Review Committee.
"The BJP is against the Constitution, reservation, and social justice. They want to weaken the judiciary and the RTI Act. They amended the SEBI Act to enable more corruption. They weakened the Lokpal Bill and the Election Commission of India," Vadra alleged.
She further stated that in BJP-ruled states, atrocities against women are high, as the party protects criminals rather than victims.
The Wayanad MP also said the BJP amended labour laws, stripping the working class of their rights.
She added that the BJP brought laws that would have broken the farmers' backbone.
"The farmers demonstrated, and 700 farmers died during the agitation. Then they (the BJP) backtracked just before the elections. All their policies are anti-constitution and will impact your day-to-day life," she told the crowd.
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Anonymous call, kidnap FIR spoil former minister's son's 'secret' trip to Bangkok
Pune, Feb 10 (PTI): Amidst high drama, former Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant’s son Rishiraj was brought back to Pune along with two friends on late Monday evening, cutting short their trip to Bangkok, hours after police filed a kidnapping case, officials said.
According to Ranjan Kumar Sharma, joint commissioner of police, Rishiraj Sawant (32) and his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok without informing his family, but an anonymous phone call spoilt their travel plans.
After police registered a kidnapping case following the anonymous call made to the control room, his whereabouts were traced and he was brought back to Pune along with his friends, he said at a hurriedly convened press conference.
"Our police control room received a call around 4 pm in which an anonymous caller informed us that Rishiraj was taken away by some unidentified people. Accordingly, we swung into action and registered a kidnapping offence.
"During the probe, it was revealed Rishiraj along with his two friends had booked a chartered plane for Bangkok. We tracked the flight and contacted the airline for the aircraft's return. The flight has now returned to Pune with three passengers, including Rishiraj," informed Sharma.
"We will enquire and find out the purpose of his trip to Bangkok and why he did not inform the family about his travel plans," the police officer said.
While replying to a question, Tanaji Sawant, who was present at the police briefing, denied any dispute with his son.
According to police sources, the flight to the Thailand capital was booked for Rs 78 lakh.
The former minister said he contacted police after coming to know his son had left for the airport with friends without informing the family.
A week ago, Rishiraj Sawant had gone to Dubai, but this trip was known to family members, said the senior politician.
Asked about the police machinery going into an overdrive to trace his son and bring him back, the former minister maintained was worried as a father.
Joint commissioner of police Sharma said the anonymous call indicated Rishiraj Sawant was taken away by unidentified people and on that basis, an FIR of kidnapping was registered.
The IPS officer opined that in such cases, things do not proceed unless an FIR is registered and that is why police moved quickly and filed an offence.
