Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today, Thursday, December 19 accused the Congress of harbouring animosity towards Dr BR Ambedkar, citing the inclusion of a controversial cartoon in a Class XI NCERT textbook in 2012, as stated in a report by PTI. The cartoon depicted Jawaharlal Nehru "whipping" Ambedkar, which Pradhan claimed reflected the Congress party’s disdain for the leader.
Pradhan alleged that the Congress’s recent expressions of respect for Ambedkar were insincere. "The Congress Party and its dynasty insulted and humiliated Dr. Ambedkar in his lifetime and even after death. The dynasty and its sycophants did everything they could to overshadow his legacy," he wrote in a post on X.
The Union Education Minister pointed out that the cartoon was included during the tenure of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-2 government and was removed only after strong opposition from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"After strong opposition from BJP, then Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal apologised and announced to withdraw it. Obviously, such a shameful act cannot happen unknowingly; this cartoon filled with hatred towards Babasaheb was made public only after the approval of the royal family, and the whole country knows who had control of the remote-run government at that time," Pradhan stated.
He went on to criticise the Congress for allegedly failing to honour Ambedkar while simultaneously claiming to champion his legacy. "These corrupt people who give themselves 'Bharat Ratna' have never given proper respect to Babasaheb, and when the Honorable Prime Minister Modi Ji is giving a grand honour to Babasaheb Ambedkar Ji, the Congress party is unable to digest it."
"The Congress party, which makes political gains in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar, takes his name only out of compulsion, while the truth is that the entire Congress party, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Rahul Gandhi, has always hated Babasaheb," he added.
The remarks came amid a heated political clash between the Congress and opposition parties demanding accountability from the BJP over comments by Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Ambedkar. The BJP, in turn, accused the Congress of taking an "anti-Ambedkar" stance.
The confrontation spilled over into Parliament, where scuffles broke out between Members of Parliament (MPs) from opposing sides. BJP MP Pratap Sarangi was reportedly injured during the incident, with allegations emerging that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pushed him.
