My quitting won't help Congress: Amit Shah on resignation demands amid Ambedkar row

"Mallikarjun Kharge is asking for my resignation. If he feels happy, then I'll do that. But the Congress will stay where they are right now for at least 15 more years. My resignation won't help," Shah told reporters in Delhi.

Earlier in the day, Shah refused to resign and accused Congress of distorting his remarks on the architect of the Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar.

Addressing a press conference amid a spiralling row over his remark on Ambedkar, Shah said: "My statement in the Rajya Sabha was distorted and misrepresented to the public."

"The Congress party has a tendency to distort statements and create unnecessary uproar," he said launching a scathing attack on the Congress.

Shah said: "They previously edited a statement made by PM Modi and made it public. During the elections, my statement was also edited using AI technology and broadcast across the country."

Congress demands Modi to sack Shah

The Congress on Wednesday demanded PM Narendra Modi to remove Union Home Minister Amit Shah by midnight if he has faith in BR Ambedkar.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge slammed Shah over his remarks on Ambedkar and told reporters during a press conference: "If Modi has a little bit of respect for Ambedkar then he should remove Amit Shah by midnight."

What did Amit Shah say?

The controversy erupted when Shah was replying to the Constitutional debate in Rajya Sabha and said it had become a 'fashion' for the Opposition to take Ambedkar's name.

The Congress has put up an X post where Shah was heard saying, "It has become a fashion to take the name of Ambedkar. If they (Congress) had taken the name of God that many times, they would have been in heaven for the next seven lives."

Posting the clip, the Congress said, "Amit Shah has said something very disgusting. This shows that the BJP and RSS leaders have a lot of hatred for Baba Saheb Ambedkar. The hatred is such that they are even irritated by his name.

Modi reacts

Indian PM Narendra Modi on Wednesday came out in support of Shah and lashed out at the Congress for allegedly spreading lies.

Modi posted on X: "If the Congress and its rotten ecosystem think their malicious lies can hide their misdeeds of several years, especially their insult towards Dr. Ambedkar, they are gravely mistaken!"

"The people of India have seen time and again how one Party, led by one dynasty, has indulged in every possible dirty trick to obliterate the legacy of Dr. Ambedkar and humiliate the SC/ST communities.