A massive confrontation broke out between the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre and other ruling parties, and the Congress-led Opposition over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on BR Ambedkar during his speech in Parliament on Tuesday, with the Congress and other opposition parties demanding resignation of the Home Minister on grounds of insulting the architect of the Constitution.

The attack from virtually all opposition parties, including Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Left parties and Shiv Sena-UBT, led to adjournment of both Houses of Parliament and prompted the BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to come out in stout defence of Shah.

The hullabaloo in Parliament also spilled on to the streets of the national Capital and places as far as Maharashtra, Bihar and Tamil Nadu.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief MK Stalin, Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav were among those who slammed Shah for his remarks.

Addressing a Press conference, Shah alleged that the Congress in the past has also misrepresented his and even PM Narendra Modi’s comments to spread confusion and mislead people. “I condemn the Congress for twisting facts. Why did it happen? It happened because BJP leaders spoke on how the NDA governments upheld the Constitution and established with facts that the Congress is anti-Ambedkar, anti-Constitution and anti-reservation,” Shah told the media.

The senior BJP leader said the Congress also insulted VD Savarkar and blew to smithereens the values enshrined in the Constitution by imposing Emergency. “When all these facts came out, the Congress used its old tricks and made an effort to mislead the society by presenting twisted facts,” Shah said.

Asked about Congress’ demand for his resignation, the home minister said in a lighter vein that he can quit if this will make the Congress president happy but it will never solve his problems. Kharge, he added, has acted under Rahul Gandhi’s pressure to be part of this “malicious” campaign against him by distorting his views on Ambedkar.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien submitted a notice to move a privilege motion against Shah in the Rajya Sabha where the Home Minister had said on Tuesday, evening that Congress leaders would have got a place in heaven had they chanted the name of God rather than following the fashion of repeating Ambedkar’s name.

In the Rajya Sabha, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju accused the Congress of misleading the country by using only a part of Shah’s remarks made in the Rajya Sabha and asserted that the Home Minister had in very clear words mentioned how the Congress party had insulted Ambedkar. “You (Congress) cannot use an 11-12 second clip out of Shah’s entire speech and mislead the nation,” Rijiju said and stressed that for the BJP, Ambedkar is equivalent to God.

Leader of the House JP Nadda too stood up in Shah’s defence, saying that Kharge was trying to “mislead” the nation through Parliament and accused the Congress of treating Ambedkar with disdain and disrespect. Nadda rejected Kharge’s claim and alleged that it was the Congress that had disrespected Ambedkar during his lifetime due to which he had resigned from the Union Cabinet.

Modi asserted that the opposition party’s “rotten ecosystem” and “malicious lies” cannot hide its misdeeds.

“They are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented, which is why they are now indulging in theatrics. Sadly, for them, people know the truth,” Modi said in a series of posts on social media. When it comes to Ambedkar, his government’s respect and reverence are absolute, the PM asserted.

Shah’s Cabinet colleagues, including Rajnath Singh, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kiren Rijiju, rallied to his defence and launched a fresh onslaught on the main opposition party for its alleged insults of the architect of the Constitution. He said his government has worked tirelessly to fulfil Ambedkar’s vision over the last decade.

For decades, Modi said, there was a pending issue involving land for “Chaitya Bhoomi”, where Ambedkar was cremated. “Not only did our Government resolve the issue, I have gone to pray there as well,” he added.

Kharge said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had any respect for Ambedkar, he should sack the home minister today itself in case he does not quit on his own. West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee alleged that Shah’s remarks displayed BJP’s “casteist and anti-Dalit mindset”.

Accusing Shah of disrespecting the architect of the Constitution, Kharge said the home minister should apologise to the nation for the “insult” he caused to Ambedkar during his speech in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. He also warned that if Shah is not removed from the Cabinet, people will take to the street. They are ready to give up their lives for Babasaheb, he said.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the country will not tolerate Babasaheb Ambedkar’s insult and demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah should apologise for his remarks in the Rajya Sabha.

Replying to a debate in Rajya Sabha on 75 years of the Constitution, Home Minister Shah Tuesday slammed the Congress for making it a “fashion” to take Ambedkar’s name for “voter bank politics”, triggering criticism by the Congress and other opposition parties. He said that during the two-day debate on the Constitution, BJP MPs tried to show the Congress and the Gandhi-Nehru family in bad light.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin said, “Only those who commit more sins should be concerned about ‘punya’ (Good deeds). Those who are concerned about the country, its people and the protection of the Constitution will only utter the name of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar and they will have to utter only his name.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray claimed Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar show the BJP’s “arrogance” and demanded that the PM take action against him. Addressing a Press conference in Mumbai, the former CM accused the BJP of insulting icons and revered figures of Maharashtra, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Dr Ambedkar.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati accused the BJP and Congress of exploiting BR Ambedkar’s name for political gains while failing to genuinely respect or honour his contributions. Mayawati alleged that these parties have not done enough for Dalits and other marginalised communities.