West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday announced that her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), will hold block-level and ward-level protests across the state on December 23. The rallies are a direct response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s controversial remarks about Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of India’s Constitution. Banerjee condemned Shah’s statement, calling it an insult to Ambedkar and an attack on the nation’s democratic principles.
Banerjee emphasized that Ambedkar had envisioned a nation founded on values of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity, where all communities could live in harmony. She described the remarks as an assault on the legacy of the Constitution’s Drafting Committee and a betrayal of Dalits and Adivasis. “This is not just an insult to Babasaheb but an attack on our freedom fighters and the constitutional spirit,” she stated in a press release.
The protest rallies, organized by the TMC, will take place from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on December 23 in all blocks of Bengal and every ward in Kolkata. Banerjee urged citizens to join the movement to protect Ambedkar’s legacy and hold the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accountable for its actions.
Further, Banerjee accused the BJP of systematically undermining the constitutional ethos of India and eroding democratic values. She also pointed out that Shah’s remarks reflect the BJP’s culture of hate and intolerance.
Shah had been in West Bengal earlier in the day to attend the 61st Raising Day of the Sashastra Seema Bal in Darjeeling. The Chief Minister had previously expressed her shock over Shah’s comments, criticizing him for tarnishing the celebration of India’s Constitution.
