Omkar Dattatray
It is most unfortunate ,untenable , distressing as well as disturbing that the futile issue of Dr Ambedkar has rocked both the Lok Sabha and Raja Sabha .This unnecessary controversy has consumed enough precious time of the august parliamentarians and it should not have been raised .Instead the honorable MP’s should take people’s as well as developmental issues and discuss ,debate and legislate on the important issues concerning the people and abstain from raising frivolous ,futile and useless issues and so save the time of the parliamentarians which they can use for productive and purposeful business .But alas! It is not so in our parliament today and thus the precious time of the parliament is frittered in useless controversies. Both the treasury benches particularly the BJP and the opposition party such as the grand old party Congress is busy in raking useless and frivolous issues only to gain limelight and photo captions and advertisements .This time BJP and Congress are leveling charges and counter-charges about the architect of the constitution and the messiah of the dalits ,downtrodden ,lower castes and backwards .The fact is that as the founding father of the constitution and upholder of un-touchability and great advocate of reservations has got the due respect of all most all parties including Congress and BJP,but still both these political parties accuse each other of dishonoring this great leader and it seems that the political parties are doing only dirty politics over Ambedkar ,constitution and one party trying to belittle the other and accusing the other for dishonoring the constitution and its archetict .Parliament winter session entered its penultimate day today on Thursday amid the row over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr BR Ambedkar ,for which the opposition has been demanding Shah’s resignation. For two consecutive days the two houses were rocked by the Amdedkar row .The winter session end on Friday ,20th December and some big business remains amid political slugfest over several issues including Ambedkar row .Both inside as well as outside parliament ,the Ambedkar row raised its ugly head and this controversy rocked not only the august parliament ,but it was in full play outside parliament .The situation outside the parliament went out of control and the BJP and congress MP’s used barbs and insults upon one another and thus insulted the great parliament of yore Ambedkar who had full respect to the dignity and decorum of the parliamentary proceedings .There was high voltage drama outside parliament as BJP ,Congress accuse each other of jostling.BJP MP Pratap Sarangi was taken to hospital after getting injured in the melee .The relationship between opposition and the treasury benches hit a new low on Thursday December 19,2024 with both the sides accusing each other of resorting to violence .The scenes outside parliament were most unfortunate and uncivilized and the situation resembled a fish market and a wrestling match and it eroded the decorum ,discipline and sanctity of the highest legislative gathering .While the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that BJP MP’s were pushing him and stopping him and other opposition MP’s from entering the parliament ,the BJP accused Mr Gandhi of assaulting two of their MP’s. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijju accused Mr Gandhi of assaulting and injuring two BJP MP’s Parapt Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput and enquired about their health after they sustained injuries in the parliament complex. MP Nishikant Dubey also accused Mr Gandhi of resorting to ”goondagradi” -hooliganism .Mr Rijju said that appropriate action will be taken .”Parliament is not the place to show physical strength .It is not a wrestling ring ,”Mr Rijju added. Mr Sarangi was taken to hospital after getting injured in the melee when the protesting INDIA bloc and the BJP MP’s came face to face in front of Makar Dwar in parliament.NDA, INDIA bloc MP’s hold protest marches over Ambedkar issue .While Congress leaders including Rahul and Priyanka marched from Ambedkar’s statue within Parliament complex to Parliament house,BJP -led NDA MP’s too carried out a march raising slogans and carrying placards demanding an apology from the Congress for allegedly insulting Ambedkar .Dressed in blue ,a color associated with B.R .Ambedkar ,Opposition INDIA bloc members on Thursday took out a protest march in parliament premises demanding the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah for his remarks related to the architect of the constitution .Amit Shah said that his words were twisted and Congress is anti -Ambedkar ,anti-constitution ,anti reservation and anti-Savarkar.BJP said Congress Prime minister Nehru conferred upon himself Bharat Ratna way back in 1955 and Indira Gandhi awarded herself Bharat Ratna in 1971.But the Congress government did not confer Bharat Ratna on Ambedkar as it is anti-Ambedkar and anti-his ideology .It was only in 1990 when there was non-Congress government at the centre in which BJP was a partner Bharat Ratna was conferred on Ambedkar posthumously. It shows Congresses’ inherent hate and hatred for Ambedkar and his philosophy and then accusing BJP of insulting and dishonoring Ambedkar and what he stood for .It seems it is a clear case of pot calling kettle black .Earlier as the remark over Ambedkar row escalates leading to adjournment inside the house ,Congress and BJP MP’s accused each other of heckling during protest .Few days later a scuffle broke out outside the parliament on Thursday further escalating the political row over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr B.R .Ambedkar.While the LOP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi alleged that BJPMP’s were pushing him and stopping him and other opposition MP’s from entering parliament ,BJP accused Mr Gandhi of assaulting two of their MP’s .Both houses were adjourned till 2pm ,within minutes after they assembled .After protests erupted in the Lok Sabha ,speaker Om Birla adjourned the house till 2pm.Meanwhile ,in the Rajya Sabha,the proceedings continued until the papers were laid on the table .Soon after ,Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said he would not allow the adjournment notices to be taken up .Amid constant sloganeering from the members ,he adjourned the proceedings till 2p.m.After the parliament resumed proceedings at 2 p.m ,both houses were quickly adjourned for the day amid continuing chaos .Both the houses were adjourned on Wednesday 18th December as opposition MP’s continued to raise slogans against Home Minister Amit Shah ‘s alleged derogatory remarks against B.R,Ambedkar .In the upper house ,TMC also moved a privilege motion against the HM .No business was transacted in either of the houses .Rajya Sabha has been adjourned for the day on 19th December.BJP leaders condemn Rahul Gandhi’s behavior ,saying he engaged in violence.DMK MP Triuchi Siva says this is one side’s version of events.BJP MP S.Phagnon Konyak says that Lok Sabha Lop Rahul Gandhi came close to her ,pushed her and shouted at her ,and that she felt uncomfortable .It is in the fitness of things to mention that HM Amit Shah has said in Parliament the other day that it has become fashion for Congress to repeat Ambedkar,Ambedkar.Ambedkar,Ambedkar many times only for politicking and by doing so the Congress is insulting Ambedkar .Congress including its president Kharge demanded resignation from HM Amit Shah for the remarks against Ambedkar.JP Nadda the of the house ,has said that the information about how the Congress has misused the constitution has reached the public ,that is why the Congressmen are incensed .They are behaving in an undemocratic manner ,he says. This house strongly condemns the actions of Rahul Gandhi .In brief the row over Ambedkar is very unfortunate and what has happened in and outside parliament is enough to surmise that the sanctity of the temple of democracy has been eroded by the actions of both the treasury benches and the opposition.
