Congress boycott of Constitution Day celebrations insult to Ambedkar: Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi : Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised the Congress on Tuesday for boycotting the Constitution Day celebrations in Parliament and said it was an "insult" to Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Shiv Sena, skipped a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament on Constitution Day to mark their protest against the BJP's alleged high-handedness in Maharashtra.

"November 26 is Constitution Day and this day is above political differences. Congress' absence from Central Hall is an insult to Dr Ambedkar, the father of the Constitution, but this is nothing new.

Earlier also the party did the same thing by not giving him Bharat Ratna," Prasad said.

Former Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Tuesday termed the developments in Maharashtra and the verdict of the Supreme Court as the biggest setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

"No doubt, this is the biggest setback for Modi and Amit Shah. But I am sure that they will not sit idle. What''s most important is today is the Constitution Day," said Antony while speaking to the media, here.

"This government has been using all agencies -- the CBI, IB and Enforcement, Directorate -- for things that should not be done," said Antony, who is also a Congress Working Committee member.

When asked if the NCP-Shiv Sena-Congress combine will be able to provide a stable government in Maharashtra, Antony said it would be one which would work 24X7.

The Aam Aadmi Party also boycotted the joint Parliament sitting, saying that the BJP has no right to celebrate the day after destroying the Constitution.

The Shiv Sena lashed out at the Maharashtra governor over the hush hush swearing-in ceremony of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying while one Bhagat Singh went to the gallows for freedom, the other one "hanged" democracy in the darkness of night.

"We are aware of one Bhagat Singh, who went to the gallows for country's freedom, but this another Bhagat Singh hanged democracy and freedom in the midnight with stamp (his signature)," a Marathi publication said.

"It openly abuses the Raj Bhavan and pretends to observe Constitution Day, the soul of Baba Saheb must be weeping with BJP dictatorship," Sanjay Singh, the leader of AAP in Rajya Sabha, said.