Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has condemned Home Minister Amit Shah’s speech in Parliament regarding Dr BR Ambedkar, saying, “Had Ambedkar not been born, I wouldn't have had the privilege of becoming the Chief Minister today. I might have been herding cattle in my village.” In an open letter issued on December 18, Siddaramaiah also said that Shah’s speech revealed his “arrogance” and added “For us, Ambedkar is not a ‘fashion’ but an eternal inspiration.”
In the strongly worded letter, Siddaramaiah added, “The more you try to diminish Ambedkar’s memory, the stronger it will rise to guide us forward. While your sycophants might have clapped at your arrogance, remember this: millions across this country, who have gained equality and dignity because of Babasaheb, are condemning you.”
Referring to his own life, the Karnataka CM added, “Had Ambedkar not been born, I wouldn’t have had the privilege of becoming the Chief Minister today. I might have been herding cattle in my village. Our senior leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, wouldn’t have risen to lead the AICC. He might have been working in a factory in Kalaburagi. We owe every step of our progress and dignity to Babasaheb and the Constitution he gave us.”
Siddaramaiah added: “Not just me—without Ambedkar’s contributions, you too wouldn’t be the Home Minister today. Instead, you might have been running a scrap business in your hometown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, your colleague, might still be selling tea at a railway station. Babasaheb’s vision is what elevated us all. Even the Prime Minister might admit this, and so should you.”
The Karnataka CM was reacting to the ongoing controversy over Shah’s speech on December 17 in the Lok Sabha. The Home Minister had said that it was the Congress who had historically ignored Ambedkar’s grievances and were the reason for his resignation from Independent India’s first Cabinet. He also added, “There is a fashion now to say ‘Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar.’ Had you [Congress] taken God’s name as many times, you would have gone to heaven by now.”
The remark drew widespread criticism from several parties including the Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Shiv Sena - UBT, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the actor-politician Vijay’s newly launched Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, accused the Congress of taking Shah’s speech out of context. Defending Shah, Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed, “one party [Congress], led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Ambedkar.
In his open letter, Siddaramaiah further said, “Let me congratulate you for finally speaking the truth by openly revealing the BJP’s real opinion about Babasaheb Ambedkar. Your statement in Parliament didn’t surprise us. We already knew your party’s true mindset. But now, the entire country has seen your lack of respect for the architect of the Indian Constitution. Standing in the very Parliament that runs under his Constitution and calling his memory a “habit” shows your arrogance.”
The CM also said, “Your hatred for Ambedkar is not new to those who know history. Why did your ideological parent–the RSS–reject the Constitution written by Babasaheb during his lifetime? Historical records document the statements of RSS leaders like Hedgewar, Golwalkar, and Savarkar against the Constitution. You may try to suppress these truths, but they cannot be erased. Your remarks in Parliament are just an extension of that long-standing RSS ideology.”