BJP rallies NDA allies to crush Congress’s ‘false narrative’ on Ambedkar and caste census

Amid heightened attacks from the Congress and the INDIA bloc over Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks on B.R. Ambedkar, the BJP's top leadership convened a crucial meeting with its NDA allies on Wednesday to strategise a united response to counter the Opposition’s narrative.

The meeting, held at BJP president J.P. Nadda’s residence, lasted an hour and focused on key issues such as the backlash over Shah’s remarks, the debate around caste census, and the politics of social justice. Shah, addressing alliance leaders including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, reportedly emphasised that the Congress was attempting to spin “false narratives” to undermine the BJP. He urged the NDA to counter such efforts cohesively.

Sources said the BJP’s central message to its allies was clear: the NDA must present a unified front to neutralise the Opposition’s attacks effectively.

Notably absent from the meeting were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The JD(U) was represented by Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan, also known as Lalan Singh, while the Shiv Sena sent Union MoS Prataprao Ganpatrao Jadhav. Other prominent attendees included Union Minister and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, TDP leader K. Rammohan Naidu, and Union Ministers Anupriya Patel, Jitan Ram Manjhi, and Sanjay Nishad.

During the discussions, Shah reportedly reflected on recent political developments, particularly lessons drawn from the Winter Session of Parliament. He accused the Congress of historically disregarding Ambedkar’s legacy while now attempting to appropriate it for political gain. He underscored the need for the BJP and its allies to respond robustly and in unison to such manoeuvres.

The timing of the meeting is significant, as it precedes the extended Congress Working Committee session in Belgaum, where the Opposition is expected to escalate its criticism of the BJP on issues ranging from the Ambedkar controversy to the caste census debate.