BJP's message to NDA allies as Congress ramps up Ambedkar offensive: 'Must counter false narrative unitedly'

NDA leaders met in New Delhi on Wednesday and decided to put up a united front to counter "false narratives" being created by the Opposition. (File Photo: PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party has conveyed to its allies that the narrative being built by the Congress-led Opposition against it over the Constitution and Dr BR Ambedkar must by countered "forcefully and unitedly".

The issue came up for discussion as members of the ruling NDA met at the New Delhi residence of BJP president and Union Minister JP Nadda on Wednesday where they decided to put up a united front to counter the "fake" narrative of the Opposition.

Those present at the meeting included Union Home Minister Amit Shah, TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister and JD (S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, Civil Aviation Minister and TDP leader K Rammohan Naidu, former Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, Union Ministers Anupriya Patel, Jitan Ram Manjhi and Sanjay Nishad, JD(U) leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan, and Shiv Sena leader and MoS Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav, among others.

The leaders met at Nadda's residence after paying tributes to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 100th birth anniversary. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde were not present at the meeting.

According to The Indian Express, the TDP, a key partner of the BJP, underlined the need for better NDA coordination on the lines of what the INDIA bloc has been doing to attack the government and the ruling alliance, especially after Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark in Rajya Sabha which the Congress claimed was an “insult” of Ambedkar.

At the meeting, Amit Shah is learnt to have told the NDA leaders that the Congress was trying to build false narratives and that there was a clear need for the NDA to counter the Opposition's narrative forcefully and unitedly.

Earlier too, BJP leaders have accused the Congress for making Shah’s remark on Ambedkar “an issue” to “mislead” the public. At the meeting, BJP leaders called upon NDA allies to “expose” the Congress on the ground and tell people what the BJP-led NDA government has done to respect the memory of Ambedkar – like developing Panch Tirths (five places of pilgrimage) – and for the “empowerment” of Dalits by giving them their due share in welfare schemes.

The NDA meeting on Wednesday came on the eve of the extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Belagavi where it is set to mount a fresh offensive against the BJP on issues including Ambedkar and caste census.

The Congress meet will be followed by a public rally titled 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan'.