Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS): A day after Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Maharashtra, the state unit organised full-throated protest marches in multiple districts demanding the removal of Home Minister Amit Shah for his recent remarks on Bharat Ratna Dr B R Ambedkar, here on Tuesday.
The protests were called ‘Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Samman Morcha’ and saw the participation of thousands of party workers and common citizens who trooped out to condemn what they termed as the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shah’s “insults” to the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution.
Besides party workers, the protests saw several MPs, MLAs, district party heads, state-level leaders, and the chiefs of various frontal organizations, joining the stir across the state.
The participants carried banners, placards, and posters condemning BJP-Shah, some sported copies of the Constitution and they marched or took out bicycle or motorcycle processions.
“We have taken an aggressive stance on the issue and demand that Shah must tender an apology to the whole country for insulting Vishwa Ratna Dr Ambedkar. We also call upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove Shah from the Union Cabinet for his slurs on Dr Ambedkar,” said state Congress President Nana F. Patole.
In Latur, MP Dr Shivaji Kalge, former minister Amit V. Deshmukh and scores took out a motorcycle rally from Dr B R Ambedkar Park to the Collectorate and submitted a memorandum to the Collector.
City and district leaders led by MP Ravindra V. Chavan, district chief B R Kadam, city president Abdul Sattar and others including many women joined the protests and demonstrations in Nanded.
MP Pratibha Dhanorkar along with former AAP district chief Subhash Dhote and others took out a procession ranting slogans against Shah-BJP in Chandrapur.
Amravati witnessed a long procession led by state leaders Bhaiya Pawar, Kishore Borkar, former city Mayor Vilas Ingore, Milind Chimote and district chief Bablu Shekhawat, raising slogans slamming the Centre.
Akola Congress staged a march to the Collectorate led by MLA Sajid Khan Pathan, city chief Dr Prashant Wankhade, former legislators and other party office-bearers taking part with a large number of workers and commoners.
In Buldhana, senior leaders like Laxmanrao Ghumre, Babasaheb Bhonde, Santosh Ambekar, Ganeshrao Patil, Dattabhau Kakas and others marched to the district administration office and submitted a memorandum to the Collector.
The Congress took out a vociferous protest march in Palghar and raised slogans seeking an apology and resignation of Shah, and asking the PM to drop him from the cabinet.
The protest marches and agitations will be continued in different districts in the state on Friday (After the Christmas holiday), said Jalna party chief Rajabhau Deshmukh and MLA Kailash Gorantyal.
The state Congress had last week announced a series of agitations in the state and elsewhere to condemn Shah’s remarks on Dr B R Ambedkar which has angered all political parties and the society, particularly the Dalits.