Bihar and Jharkhand News
Congress neglected B.R. Ambedkar, failed to honour him: Jitan Ram Manjhi (Photo: IANS)
Patna, Dec 19 (IANS) Criticising the Congress, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Wednesday backed Home Minister Amit Shah, whom the grand old party has accused of not showing respect to B.R. Ambedkar during his speech in Parliament.
In a post on X, Manjhi accused Congress of historically neglecting Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of India's Constitution. He alleged that Congress failed to honour Ambedkar with the Bharat Ratna during their tenure and even contributed to his electoral defeat.
Manjhi said: "When the Congress was in power, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to many individuals but ignored Dr. Ambedkar. They were also responsible for his defeat in elections. It was our government that finally gave him the respect he deserved, which Congress cannot digest."
The statement came after Shiv Chandra Ram, an RJD MLA, took a dig at Manjhi and Union Minister Chirag Paswan for their silence on the issue even as both hail from Mahadalit and Dalit communities, respectively.
“We are highly disappointed that Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, who claim to represent Dalit and Mahadalit interests, seemed to be indifferent to the disrespect shown to Dr. Ambedkar, who is considered a hero for these communities. These leaders were more concerned with their own families and personal gains rather than genuinely advocating for the welfare of Dalits and Mahadalits,” Ram said.
Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Chaudhary, also joined the criticism of Congress, targeting senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
In his statement, Chaudhary accused Congress leaders of losing their focus and making baseless remarks, particularly against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"The mentality of Congress leaders has gone haywire. There is no Congress leader left in the House who can properly answer any question. What Jairam Ramesh is saying about Amit Shah is wrong. The people are closely observing what bills are being passed in the House and how Congress is responding," he said.
