The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has decided to organise a nationwide protest against home minister Amit Shah for his remark on Dalit icon and Father of the Constitution B.R. Ambedkar in Parliament on Tuesday.

“People are hurt by the remark. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar is worshipped like a god for giving a Constitution for the welfare of the Dalits and the deprived classes. The community is hurt to hear Shah insulting him,” BSP chief Mayawati posted on X on Saturday.

“The majority community across the country is agitated against him for making such a remark against the great person. The BSP, a follower of Ambedkar, appeals to him to withdraw his statement and repent. The BSP has decided to take up this issue if he doesn’t accept our demand,” Mayawati added.

Dubbing Ambedkar a messiah, she said her party had decided to hold peaceful demonstrations at the district headquarters across the country on December 24. The Congress has been organising similar protests against Shah since he remarked.

Replying to the two-day discussion on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, Shah had said while slamming the Congress for repeatedly invoking Ambedkar: “Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai... Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar. Itna naam agar bhagwan ka lete toh saat janmo tak swarg mil jata (It has become a fashion to keep invoking Ambedkar. Had they taken God’s name so many times, they would have got a place in heaven for seven rebirths).”

The party has no MP in the Lok Sabha and just one in the Rajya Sabha.