Dalits call for Kalaburagi bandh on Tuesday condemning Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar followers

Dalit organisations call for Kalaburagi bandh to condemn Amit Shah's comments on Ambedkar, sparking widespread protest.

Taking serious exception to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent comments in Parliament on B.R. Ambedkar and his followers, Dalit organisations have called for a Kalaburagi bandh to be observed on Tuesday.

Leaders of different Dalit organisations held a meeting at Aiwan-e-Shahi Guest House here on Thursday and discussed in detail Mr. Shah’s comments in Parliament before deciding to observe the bandh to condemn Mr. Shah’s “intolerance” of Ambedkar thoughts.

“If Baba Saheb Ambedkar had not drafted the Constitution to guarantee equal rights for all oppressed communities, Mr. Amit Shah wouldn’t have been the Union Home Minister today. He could politically rise and became Union Home Minister because of the Constitutional provisions made by Dr. Ambedkar. Now, Mr. Shah is spitting venom against Dr. Ambedkar and his followers. We don’t tolerate this. All the Dalit and like-minded organisations have decided to observe a bandh on Tuesday to condemn Mr. Shah’s statement,” senior Dalit leader Vittal Doddamani told media after the meeting.

As per information he provided, thousands of youths from different organisations and Ambedkar followers will gather at Nagareshwar School in the Gunj Area and take out a protest march through the main road to reach the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

Another leader who participated in the meeting Suryakanth Nimbalkar said that Mr. Shah put his guns on the shoulders of Dr. Ambedkar to target his political opponents in Parliament.

“If Mr. Shah tries to use Dr. Ambedkar to attack his political rivals, we cannot sit as silent spectators. The Union Home Minister has indeed unknowingly expressed his hatred for Ambedkar and his followers. His statement is an insult to Dr. Ambedkar and his huge followers and the oppressed communities he fought for. All the marginalised communities must come together to condemn Mr. Shah’s statement,” he said.

Dalit leader Shravan Kumar Musalagi took serious exception to Mr. Shah’s statement on Dr. Ambedkar and called upon the people to teach a lesson to the Home Minister who, he said, did not apologize.