New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from Home Minister Amit Shah's controversial remarks on Dr B.R. Ambedkar, demanding his resignation and an apology.

At a joint press conference held at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chief Rahul Gandhi condemned Shah’s comments on Ambedkar, vowing to protest nationwide until the demands were met.

Kharge stated, "The BJP is attempting to divert attention from Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar by raising other issues." He continued by emphasising that the Congress party was solely demanding Shah’s resignation, adding, "We are protesting in support of our demands, but BJP MPs blocked us from entering Parliament. They pushed me, and I lost my balance and sat down."

He reiterated his condemnation of Shah's comments on Ambedkar and confirmed that the Congress would launch a nationwide movement centred on the issue.

Meanwhile, Gandhi remarked that the BJP-RSS ideology was "anti-Constitution" and "anti-Ambedkar." He accused the BJP of attempting to distract from the issue, declaring, "We want the apology and resignation of the Home Minister over his remarks on Ambedkar." Gandhi also added that the Congress would continue to raise both the Ambedkar issue and the Adani matter in their protests.

Congress leaders addressed the media in the wake allegations related to a scuffle in Parliament and claims that Gandhi misbehaved with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Phangnon Konyak. The scuffle in Parliament between opposition and NDA MPs occurred over alleged disrespect towards B. R. Ambedkar, which led to former minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi being injured. The BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing Sarangi, a charge the Congress leader has denied.

BJP MP Phangnon Konyak claimed she "felt very uncomfortable" as Rahul Gandhi allegedly approached her closely and shouted during protests by INDIA bloc leaders. The incident occurred on the Parliament premises amid rising tensions between the parties. Notably, the hashtag #GoondaRahulGandhi is trending on the X platform, reflecting the intensity of the public discourse surrounding the incident.