Patna: Tejashwi Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and a key figure in the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has expressed strong criticism of Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding his recent contentious remarks about B.R. Ambedkar, who is celebrated as the architect of India’s Constitution.
In statements made to the media on Wednesday, Yadav called Shah’s comments “highly objectionable” and accused him of reflecting the broader agenda of the BJP and RSS. He specifically pointed to a “17 seconds” segment of Shah’s speech that he found particularly revealing of their true intentions.
Yadav emphasized that the BJP and RSS have a pattern of attacking revered leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Karpoori Thakur, and Jawaharlal Nehru, and now Ambedkar. He claimed that these groups, having played no role in India’s struggle for independence, resort to such attacks due to their own lack of achievements. Furthermore, Yadav suggested that the RSS and Jan Sangh had “surrendered” during British colonial rule, aiming to undermine their credibility compared to prominent figures of the independence movement.
He reiterated the importance of B.R. Ambedkar to both the people of Bihar and the nation, describing him as a source of “fashion, passion, inspiration, and motivation.”
Yadav’s condemnation was part of a larger critique by the RJD regarding Shah’s comments about Ambedkar. Other RJD members also voiced their disapproval, with Shiv Chandra Ram, an RJD MLA, taking aim at Union Ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi for their silence on the matter. Both politicians represent Dalit and Mahadalit communities, yet Ram accused them of indifference towards the disrespect shown to Ambedkar, who is regarded as an icon for these groups. He asserted that Paswan and Manjhi seemed more focused on their personal interests rather than advocating for the genuine welfare of Dalits and Mahadalits.