Congress legislators stage sit-in at Ambedkar statue in Telangana Assembly

Hyderabad, Dec 19: Leaders of Telangana's ruling Congress on Thursday staged a sit-in at the Ambedkar statue at the Legislature premises, demanding the sacking of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his shameful remarks on Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Carrying portraits of Ambedkar in their hands and raising slogans, the Congress leaders. including ministers. staged the protest at the statue on the premises of the Assembly building.

The protest was led by the party's Telangana President Mahesh Kumar Goud, who is also a member of the Legislative Council. The leaders demanded that Amit Shah apologise for his remarks on Dr B. R. Ambedkar.

Congress MLAs and MLCs participated in the protest, the first by the ruling party since Amit Shah’s remarks kicked up a huge row.

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar demanded that Amit Shah be sacked from the Union Cabinet for his remarks. He also demanded that the BJP leader be booked under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The minister also asked Central ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay to make their stand clear on Amit Shah’s remarks on Dr Ambedkar. Prabhakar asked why the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) was silent when the BJP insulted the architect of the Indian Constitution.

Earlier, BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao termed Amit Shah’s comments as "shameful".

The Union Home Minister had made certain remarks on Tuesday during the debate to mark 75 years of the Constitution. Through another post on X, Rama Rao criticised the Congress for what he called its double standards on Ambedkar. The BRS leader said the Congress leaders in Delhi show love for Ambedkar for their political gains but in Hyderabad, they disrespect the big man by denying people access to the 125 feet Ambedkar statue, and disrespect Babasaheb on his birth and death anniversaries.

The statue was installed near the State Secretariat in Hyderabad by the previous BRS government.