Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing its top leadership of being “anti-Ambedkar” and calling for strong action against Home Minister Amit Shah. Kejriwal was protesting at BJP office over the latter’s remarks on BR Ambedkar in Parliament.

Kejriwal’s remarks came after Amit Shah criticised the Congress on Tuesday, claiming it had become a “fashion” for the party to frequently invoke Ambedkar’s name. Shah had said, “It has now become a fashion — Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. If they had taken God’s name this many times, they would have earned a place in heaven over seven lifetimes.”

Responding to Shah’s statement, Kejriwal said, “Home Minister Amit Shah disrespected BR Ambedkar yesterday. For crores of people from underprivileged communities, Ambedkar is no less than a god. I follow Ambedkar’s teachings, and whenever I face challenges, I turn to his wisdom. The Aam Aadmi Party follows Ambedkar’s ideology.”

The former Delhi Chief Minister accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of defending Amit Shah’s remarks, calling it part of a “well-thought-out strategy”. Kejriwal alleged, “By defending Amit Shah, PM Modi has made it clear that the BJP’s top leadership is anti-Ambedkar. BJP supporters must now decide whether they stand with Ambedkar or with the BJP.”

He further demanded strict action against the Home Minister, reiterating his party’s commitment to Ambedkar’s ideals.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi defended Amit Shah’s remarks and said that Shah exposed Congress’ dark history of insulting Ambedkar after which they are clearly stung and stunned by the facts he presented.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi said that Congress sat in power for years but did nothing to empower the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.