Congress hits back at PM Modi, calls BJP 'enemies of Babasaheb then and now'

modi kharge

On the 135th birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the Congress party launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of distorting Babasaheb’s legacy while pretending to uphold his ideals.

At a press conference in Delhi on Monday, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge responded to PM Modi’s remarks in Haryana, where the latter accused the Congress of “spreading the virus of vote bank politics” by opposing the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act.

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“These people were enemies of Babasaheb then and even now. Even when he was alive, they did not support him. When Baba Saheb adopted Buddhism, they said that he is from the Mahar community, an untouchable. They even said that now Buddha has been made an untouchable. Hindu Mahasabha was against him, and they continue to dishonour his ideals,” Kharge said, referencing opposition to Ambedkar’s conversion and political journey.

Kharge also countered the BJP's claims of embracing Ambedkar’s vision. “They only speak against Congress, against Nehru, and what we have done. But I ask: which principles of Babasaheb have they adopted? They’re not ready to answer that,” he said.

PM Modi had earlier accused the Congress of insulting Ambedkar and blocking reforms like the Waqf (Amendment) Act for political gain. “Congress is opposing the Waqf Act only for vote bank politics. They are the destroyers of the Constitution. Babasaheb wanted to uplift every poor and backward person, but Congress spread the virus of votebank politics,” the PM said during his visit to Hisar.

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Defending the amendment, Modi said the revised law would protect land belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes from encroachment by Waqf boards. “Under the new Waqf law, land or property belonging to any Adivasi cannot be touched... this is real social justice,” the PM said, also noting benefits for poor and Pasmanda Muslims.

Kharge, meanwhile, pointed to Congress’ push for inclusive reforms, recalling how the party had demanded specific reservations for SC, ST, and OBC women during the passage of the women's reservation bill two years ago. “We wanted immediate implementation. This is our consistent objective,” he said.

As both parties clashed over Ambedkar’s legacy, Kharge reminded reporters of Congress' long-standing commitment to social justice, contrasting it with what he called BJP’s “symbolic appropriation.”

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PM Modi also accused the Congress of repeatedly humiliating Ambedkar during his lifetime. “They made him lose elections twice and tried to erase his memory,” Modi said, accusing the Congress of undermining the very Constitution that Ambedkar helped draft.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, was born on April 14, 1891, in a Dalit Mahar family in present-day Madhya Pradesh. Revered as the “Father of the Indian Constitution,” he remains a towering figure in the fight for equality and social justice in India.