Mumbai: The MVA staged a walkout from the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Wednesday over a statement of Union home minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha. The MVA accused Mr. Shah of insulting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Congress MLA Nitin Raut also raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly. However, BJP minister Ashish Shelar hit back saying Mr. Shah exposed Congress in Rajya Sabha, but the party was cherrypicking his statement. Former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray alleged that the BJP insults every icon of Maharashtra.Raising the issue in the Legislative Council, Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve said, “I want to know about the statement on Babasaheb Ambedkar made by Union home minister Amit Shah in Parliament yesterday.” However, the legislators from ruling parties opposed discussion on it. Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe said she cannot allow the discussion on Parliament proceedings in the House. When the opposition kept pressing for the discussion, she said, “You are misleading the public, hence I won’t give you permission.” After that MVA legislators staged a walkout.Mr. Shah had said in Rajya Sabha that it has become a fashion to take Dr. Ambedkar’s name and had the Congress taken God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven for seven lives.Congress MLA Nitin Raut alleged in the Legislative Assembly that Mr. Shah had insulted Dr. Ambedkar, which cannot be tolerated. Responding to him, Mr. Shelar demanded that the Congress MLA’s remarks should be expunged from the House proceedings as rules do not allow discussion on the Parliament proceedings in the Legislative Assembly. “Mr. Shah spoke about how the Congress always disrespected Dr. Ambedkar. The party ensured his defeat in a Lok Sabha election. Now they are cherrypicking a single sentence to create a controversy.”Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar said he will examine Mr. Raut’s statement and expunge it if it is found violating rules.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who has returned to Mumbai, accused the BJP of disrespecting Maharashtra’s revered figures and diminishing the state’s importance. “For the past two-and-a-half to three years, and even earlier, certain BJP leaders have been insulting Maharashtra’s icons and deities. This disrespect has crossed all limits of tolerance,” he said.Calling it “same old mentality” of the BJP and RSS, Dr. Ambedkar’s grandson Prakash Ambedkar said, “There is nothing new in the statement. They are not able to execute their old plans. Not because of Congress, but because of Babasaheb Ambedkar and they will continue to sulk.”
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