NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday demanded an apology and resignation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his remarks on B R Ambedkar in Parliament.
With Delhi Assembly elections approaching, party sources revealed that AAP is positioning this issue to consolidate its Dalit voter base and retain dominance in the 12 reserved seats of the national capital.
Dalit voters constitute nearly 17-18% of Delhi’s electorate and play a decisive role in about 30 constituencies. While AAP traditionally dominates Dalit support in Assembly polls, the BJP has garnered significant backing from the community during Lok Sabha elections.
The reserved constituencies include Bawana, Sultan Pur Majra, Mangolpuri, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Madipur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, Trilokpuri, Kondli, Seemapuri, and Gokalpuri. Additionally, constituencies like Bijwasan, Narela, Nangloi, and Shahdara also see strong Dalit voter influence. AAP swept all 12 reserved seats in the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections.
However, in the 2014, 2019, and 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP outperformed AAP and Congress in these segments. Despite the AAP-Congress alliance in the 2024 general elections, BJP secured victory in 8 of the 12 reserved constituencies. Facing anti-incumbency, AAP has reportedly changed candidates on several seats to address voter dissatisfaction.
AAP sources suggest that the party will intensify its focus on Dalit constituencies and leverage Shah’s remarks as a key campaign issue. “AAP is making Shah’s statement a central issue to regain Dalit voter trust. It aims to highlight the BJP’s alleged disrespect toward Babasaheb Ambedkar,” said a senior party source. Addressing the controversy, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal criticised the BJP and accused it of betraying Ambedkar’s legacy.
Speaking after offering prayers at Valmiki Mandir, he said, “Those who revere Babasaheb must reject the BJP. Amit Shah’s remarks are a painful and deliberate insult to the architect of the Indian Constitution.” He likened the Parliament to the largest Panchayat in the country, where national issues are deliberated, and vowed to oppose the BJP at every level.
Kejriwal asks Nitish, Naidu to reflect on Shah’s remarks
AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday wrote letters to Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, leaders of NDA partners JDU and TDP, urging them to deeply reflect on Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark on B R Ambedkar. In his letter, Kejriwal said people feel that those who love Ambedkar can not support the BJP that “insulted” the architect of India’s Constitution, and asked Kumar and Naidu to ponder over it.