Ruling and Opposition members put photos of Dr Ambedkar on their desks n Staff Reporter The issue of alleged remarks of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar dominated the Maharashtra State Assembly on Friday as both - ruling as well as Opposition - placed the photos of the ‘Mahanayak’ on their respective desks in the House. Congress leaders alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah insulted the Dalit icon and placed photos of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on their desks. This prompted Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to urge Speaker Adv Rahul Narwekar to allow him to put a photo of Dr Ambedkar on his desk. Pawar said Ambedkar belongs to everyone and even the treasury benches should be allowed to display his photographs. Narwekar pointed out, “Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar never liked hero worship, he believed in work.” He asked the Congress leaders, including Vijay Wadettiwar, Nitin Raut and Nana Patole, to remove the pictures. Congress' Vijay Wadettiwar raised the vandalism of their party office in Mumbai.

 

How political parties can resort to hooliganism, he asked. Shiv Sena (UBT) legislators also had placed photos of Ambedkar on their desks but removed them after the Speaker’s suggestion. With the Congress leaders not removing the photos in defiance of the Speaker’s suggestion, the members of the ruling Mahayuti also placed Ambedkar’s pictures on their desks compeling the Speaker to adjourn the House proceedings for 10 minutes. Leaders of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), also held a protest at the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan against the attack on the Congress office in Mumbai and Shah’s alleged remarks against Ambedkar. Congress’ Bhai Jagtap said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis often appeals to the Opposition to maintain decorum and respect Maharashtra’s image but the incident has put a question mark on his party’s conduct. He also demanded a probe into the incident and Shah’s resignation over his comments concerning Ambedkar.