Maharashtra assembly winter session: MVA protests at Vidhan Bhawan steps over Amit Shah's Ambedkar remarks

Pic/X@VijayWadettiwar

Opposition members staged a protest at the Vidhan Bhawan steps in Nagpur on Thursday over Union minister Amit Shah's remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar and said the country will not tolerate insult of the Constitution's architect, reported news agency PTI.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, wearing blue caps and stoles, took out a morcha from the Samvidhan Chowk in Nagpur.

They reached steps of the Vidhan Bhawan complex raising the slogan "Babasaheb ka apman nahi sahega hindustan", reported PTI.

The protesters included leader of opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve, Congress leaders Nana Patole, Nitin Raut, Vijay Wadettiwar, Bhai Jagtap, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators Aaditya Thackeray, Sachin Ahir, Varun Sardesai, Bhaskar Jadhav and NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar.

A massive political row erupted on Wednesday as the Congress and other opposition parties launched an all-out attack on Shah for his remarks on Ambedkar and demanded his sacking, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top BJP leaders rallied to his defence and said he has exposed Congress' "anti-Ambedkar" stand.

The opposition members claimed Shah's remarks were an insult to Ambedkar.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had shared a video snippet on X from Shah's speech in the Upper House of Parliament on Tuesday.

The Maharashtra assembly winter session is currently underway in Nagpur.

The opposition members had staged protests at the Vidhan Bhawan steps during the last three days also over various issues, including problems of farmers, violence in Parbhani last week and murder of a sarpanch in Beed district.

(With inputs from PTI)