Politics surrounding Dr. BR Ambedkar has intensified in Uttar Pradesh, with the Samajwadi Party (SP) staging statewide protests and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati announcing a nationwide demonstration on December 24 to protest Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s controversial remarks about the architect of the Indian Constitution. SP workers clashed with the police at various locations, attempting to block traffic at key intersections. Reports of unrest emerged from cities such as Sambhal, Kasganj, Rampur, and Saharanpur, among other parts of western Uttar Pradesh. The protests reflected the SP’s sharp criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of being "anti-Dalit."
In their memorandum to authorities, SP leaders said, “Babasaheb is a God for the majority of society. If the Constitution had not been created by him, Amit Shah would not have been the Home Minister today.” They further criticized Shah's remarks, calling them undemocratic and unconstitutional. “The BJP must apologize for the Home Minister’s comments,” the SP stated. “Dr. Ambedkar is revered as God by backward communities, Dalits, and the underprivileged. His image is present in every village, where people worship him as a symbol of justice and empowerment.”
Meanwhile, BSP Chief Mayawati took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to denounce Shah's remarks. She announced plans for a nationwide protest on December 24, calling the comments deeply hurtful to the sentiments of millions who revere Ambedkar. “Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, is a God-like figure to Dalits, the deprived, and the neglected. Amit Shah’s disrespectful remarks have caused immense pain to the people,” Mayawati wrote. She demanded that Shah retract his statement and offer an apology.
Mayawati also highlighted the growing anger across all sections of society over Shah's remarks. “If the demand to take back his words is not met, the BSP will organize a peaceful nationwide dharna on December 24 at all district headquarters to express its dissent,” she declared. She reaffirmed her party’s commitment to Ambedkar’s legacy, emphasizing his lifelong struggle for the rights and self-respect of Dalits and marginalized communities.
