Ambedkar Picture on Parliament Seats? No, Karnataka Assembly

This story was originally published by NewsMeter, and republished by The Probe as part of the Shakti Collective

Claim: Viral image shows Ambedkar’s picture on all the seats in the Parliament during a protest against Union minister Amit Shah.

Fact: The claim is false. The image is from the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, not the Parliament.

Hyderabad: During a debate in the Rajya Sabha on December 18, 2024, marking 75 years of the Indian Constitution, Union home minister Amit Shah sparked controversy with his remarks. Shah stated that chanting Dr BR Ambedkar’s name has become a ‘fashion’ for the Opposition. He further remarked that if they invoked Lord Ram’s name as often as Ambedkar’s, they would attain heaven. The statement has drawn criticism from various quarters, intensifying the ongoing political debate.

In this context, an image has been circulating on social media, claiming that Ambedkar’s pictures were placed on every seat in the Parliament in New Delhi as a form of protest against Shah’s remarks. A Facebook user shared the viral image with the caption, “This is the picture of Dr BR Ambedkar, who was not allowed to sit inside the classroom in the school, who did not find a house in Vadodara. Now he is sitting on every seat in Parliament today.” (Archive)

An X user shared the image and wrote, “Big Breaking: Baba Sahab Ambedkar's photo on each & every Opposition bench in Rajya Sabha. Jai Bheem." (Archive)

Similar claims can be found here, here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2, Archive 3)

Fact Check:

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The image was not taken in the Parliament but in the Karnataka Assembly.

A reverse image search directed us to reports by Hindustan Times, The News Minute and News Tak, published on December 19, featuring similar images. According to these reports, Congress leaders placed photos of Dr BR Ambedkar on benches in the Karnataka Legislative Council on December 19, setting the stage for a stormy session. The move was a protest against Union home minister Amit Shah’s recent comments on Ambedkar, which Congress members claimed insulted the architect of the Indian Constitution.

The official X account of Karnataka Congress also shared the same images, stating that Karnataka Congress MLAs and ministers staged a protest at the State Legislative Assembly to condemn the remarks made by Amit Shah on Babasaheb Ambedkar.

ಬಾಬಾ ಸಾಹೇಬ್ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕ‌ರ್ ಅವರನ್ನು ಅಪಮಾನಿಸಿ ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಗೃಹ ಸಚಿವ @AmitShah ನೀಡಿರುವ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಯನ್ನು ಖಂಡಿಸಿ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಶಾಸಕರು, ಸಚಿವರು ಸುವರ್ಣಸೌಧದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಭಾವಚಿತ್ರ ಹಿಡಿದು ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ನಡೆಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಪ್ರತಿಭಟನೆ ಬಳಿಕ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕ‌ರ್ ಅವರ ಚಿತ್ರವನ್ನು ಸದಸ್ಯರ ಮುಂಭಾಗದ ಟೇಬಲ್‌ಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಇರಿಸಲಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಸದನದ… pic.twitter.com/chSGgyDnW8

— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) December 19, 2024

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah also shared a similar image on his Instagram account. The post stated a protest was staged in the House with Ambedkar’s portrait placed in front of the ruling party members’ seats.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah_official)

Therefore, we conclude that the viral claim that Ambedkar’s picture was placed on all Parliament seats is false.

This Fact Check story was originally published by NewsMeter, as part of the Shakti Collective. Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Probe staff.