Parliament Winter Session: Both Houses adjourned till tomorrow; HM Shah must apologise, says Rahul Gandhi

Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned for the day amid Opposition uproar over Amit Shah's remarks on B R Ambedkar.

Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned for the day amidst opposition protests over Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray launched a sharp attack on Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of making controversial remarks about Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar with the backing of the BJP and the RSS.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Thackeray alleged that Shah's comments were part of a larger agenda supported by the BJP and its ideological mentor, the RSS.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, demanded an apology from Amit Shah for his remarks.

Gandhi asserted that the country would not tolerate any insult to Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution.

Gandhi, along with several INDIA bloc MPs, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, staged a protest in the Parliament premises early morning today.

Sharing pictures of the demonstration on Facebook, Gandhi wrote in Hindi, "Babasaheb is the architect of the Constitution, a great man who gave direction to the country. The country will not tolerate his insult or the insult to the Constitution framed by him. The Home Minister must apologise!"

Delhi Minister and AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj also lambasted Home Minister Shah over his remarks on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, accusing the BJP of hypocrisy and aligning with the RSS's ideology.

Bharadwaj stated, “It’s the BJP which gave the slogan ‘Har Har Modi’. In India, it used to be ‘Har Har Mahadev’. Whenever PM Modi goes, they raise ‘Modi..Modi’ slogans, but now they have a problem with people taking Babasaheb Ambedkar’s name."

NCP-SCP MLA Jitendra Awhad has also slammed Home Minister Shah’s comments on Dr. BR Ambedkar made in the Rajya Sabha, stating that Ambedkar’s legacy represents "passion, not fashion."

Awhad remarked, "Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar pulled us out of hell," underscoring Ambedkar's role in uplifting marginalised communities and shaping the Indian Constitution.

Awhad accused the BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, of lacking genuine respect for Ambedkar. He alleged, "They do not have love towards Babasaheb Ambedkar; they wanted to bring Manusmriti, and it would have come had Babasaheb Ambedkar not been there."

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah strongly criticised Amit Shah for his recent remarks on B.R. Ambedkar, calling it a disrespectful insult to the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.

Siddaramaiah asserted that Shah's statement was a reflection of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) long-standing ideology.

"Without Ambedkar, you [Amit Shah] wouldn't be Home Minister. You might have been running a scrap business, and PM Modi might still be selling tea at a railway station," said the CM.

On Amit Shah’s speech in Rajya Sabha, CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar says, "His speech was detrimental to the interests of the nation, especially the Dalits and minorities. Constantly taking Ambedkar’s name shows Amit Shah’s arrogance… He was out of control yesterday. He was even threatening the opposition leader. The Congress party should also do their homework; they had more time to speak than the rest of us and should have utilized it better.”

On One Nation One Election, he adds, “It’s an attack on the federal structure. They (BJP) can’t implement it but want to keep it in the public agenda.”

Union Minister Giriraj Singh says, "Rahul Gandhi started raising slogans for Hindus when he sensed Hindu votes slipping away... If anyone has disrespected BR Ambedkar, it's the Congress."

On Home Minister's speech in Rajya Sabha during the Constitution debate, Congress MP KC Venugopal said today, "Whenever discussions take place in Parliament, their only target is to attack Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi. We will face it. But yesterday, the way in which he spoke about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was shocking. Amit Shah, the number two person in BJP, spoke about Ambedkar in an unacceptable manner. The people of India believe Ambedkar ji is the pillar of the Constitution. For election votes, they used to say 'Ambedkar-Ambedkar.'"

Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm as opposition protests, accusing Amit Shah of insulting B.R. Ambedkar.

She further added, "The One Nation One Election Bill has gone to the JPC, and we know it goes against the federal structure and the Constitution of this country. We will continue to fight against it. But before discussing One Nation One Election, I hope the JPC will also examine the functioning of the Election Commission regarding Maharashtra Elections, especially the rise in voter registrations—over 40 lakhs—between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. We seek transparency from the Election Commission, and we hope the JPC will address that before discussing One Nation One Election."

On the One Nation One Election Bill, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "There was a vote to decide whether the Bill should be introduced or directly sent to the JPC. In that vote, 20 BJP MPs were missing, despite a whip being issued. This shows that even with control, people chose to defy it. That's a significant story. Before thinking about securing a 2/3rd majority for this Bill, they should avoid this embarrassment and prevent such voting patterns, which expose cracks in Mr. Narendra Modi’s armour".

Congress MP Manickam Tagore, commenting on the One Nation One Election Bill today, stated, "It's a failed attempt... There is confusion within the BJP itself. Leaders like Nitin Gadkari were not part of the voting yesterday, which shows there is confusion in the BJP on One Nation One Election. This is a failed experiment, and they are not able to secure the 2/3rd majority in Parliament. We saw that yesterday. One Nation One Election won't happen; it's only on paper. Due to Mr. Modi's arrogance and ego, he is trying to push it, but he doesn't have support within his own party".

Opposition MPs, including Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, protested against Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in the Rajya Sabha during the Constitution debate.

MPs accuse Amit Shah of insulting Dr. BR Ambedkar in his remarks.

AAP MP Malwinder Singh Kang has given an adjournment motion notice in the Lok Sabha, demanding a discussion on the ongoing hunger strike by farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal.

Dallewal has been on hunger strike for the past 22 days, protesting various issues affecting farmers. Kang has called for the urgent attention of the government to address the concerns raised by Dallewal, who has become a symbol of the farmers' struggle.

Congress MP Vijay Vasanth has given a notice for an Adjournment Motion in the Lok Sabha, seeking to discuss the disparities in wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The motion aims to highlight the unequal wage structure faced by workers in different states, despite the scheme’s objective to provide rural employment and enhance economic welfare.