Ambedkar's birth anniversary: Political parties vie for Dalit icon's legacy

New Delhi/Nagpur: As the birth anniversary of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, was celebrated across the country on Monday, political parties squabbled to claim the Dalit icon's legacy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the Congress the "destroyer of Constitution".

Hitting back, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Modi government of paying only "lip service" to Ambedkar's legacy but doing nothing to fulfil his wishes, and claimed the BJP-RSS were his "enemies".

Earlier in the day, thousands of people from across the country arrived at Deekshabhoomi in Nagpur, Maharashtra to pay tributes to Ambedkar on his 134th birth anniversary and take part in various programmes scheduled to mark the occasion.

Ambedkar embraced Buddhism at Deekshabhoomi in 1956, making it a revered site for his followers.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid floral tributes at the statue of Ambedkar in the Parliament House Complex.

Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi also paid homage at the statue of Ambedkar.

President Murmu said Ambedkar's contributions across various fields would continue to inspire future generations to work with dedication towards nation-building.

Modi said that it was due to his inspiration that the country was dedicated to realising the dream of social justice. His principles and ideas will strengthen and speed up the building of an 'aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) and developed India, he said on X.

Paying tributes to Ambedkar, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said his struggle and contributions to strengthening the country's democracy and ensuring equal rights for every Indian "will always guide us in the fight to protect the Constitution".

Later, addressing a gathering in Haryana's Hisar, the prime minister alleged that the Congress has become the "destroyer of the Constitution" framed by Ambedkar.

"Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to bring equality, but Congress spread the virus of vote bank (politics) in the country. He wanted every poor person to live with dignity, with heads held high, to dream and fulfil them. But the Congress made the SCs, STs and OBCs second-class citizens," he said.

Modi alleged the Congress turned the pious Constitution "into a weapon to gain power" and spread the "virus" of vote bank (politics).

Congress president Kharge claimed that the Modi government paid mere lip service to him and reiterated the demand for a caste survey to push social justice.

While Modi led the BJP's charge on its rivals and its push to be identified as the champion of constitutional values espoused by Ambedkar, Kharge alleged the BJP-RSS were his "enemies".

The Congress chief cited a letter by Ambedkar in which he blamed SA Dange and VD Savarkar for his defeat in the elections of 1952. The BJP has often accused the Congress of ensuring Ambedkar's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in 1951-52.

Speaking to reporters, Kharge reiterated his party's demand for a nationwide caste survey as well as implementation of reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in private academic institutions.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said the BJP bows before Ambedkar "out of compulsion" but fails to uphold his ideals, particularly in the field of education.

Speaking at an event to commemorate Ambedkar's birth anniversary, Kejriwal said, "We try to follow Babasaheb's path while running our party and government. Today, many parties and leaders commemorate him merely for show, they don't follow his ideals. For instance, no other party prioritises education, which was one of his core principles."

Mayawati, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and supremo of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) -- a party long identified with Dalits but whose political fortunes have tumbled -- said the "social, economic and political conditions of the Bahujans in the country are as pathetic in the BJP rule as in the Congress rule".

"The only cure for the millions of problems of all Bahujans is their mutual unity and obtaining the master key to power through votes. For this, all the tactics of the opponents will have to be foiled," she said. 

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav joined other parties in lauding Ambedkar and projecting his outfit as the true champion of his ideals.

The former UP chief minister urged people to unite to strengthen the "PDA" movement to save the Constitution, a swipe at the BJP.

"(Let us) reiterate that the Constitution is the life-giver and the Constitution is a shield and that as long as the Constitution remains safe, our honour, respect, self-respect and rights will remain safe," Yadav said.

Earlier, BJP president J P Nadda went to Ambedkar's memorial in Alipur in the national capital, where he had breathed his last in 1956, to pay homage while party leaders organised commemorative events in their offices across the country and outside to mark the day.

Several BJP leaders at its headquarters also read out the Constitution's preamble to stress their commitment to its values.

Home Minister Amit Shah lauded Ambedkar in his post on X saying he laid the foundation of social transformation based on education, equality and justice, and remained committed to the rights of the deprived sections of society throughout his life.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat praised Ambedkar for his "lifelong efforts to unite Hindus".

Speaking at the inauguration of the newly constructed RSS regional office 'Keshav Bhawan' in Kanpur, Bhagwat said, "Babasaheb had to face severe hardships in his life. From childhood, he faced discrimination and inequality. Yet, throughout his life, he tried to bring the Hindu society together. His commitment to social unity and progress is an inspiration to all," he said.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded Ambedkar as a true Bharat Ratna and a living school of democracy.

"His struggle to establish an egalitarian and justice-loving society will continue to inspire all of us for eternity," he said.

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar accused the Opposition of using Ambedkar's name for political mileage without honouring his legacy.

Speaking to PTI Videos, Kumar said, "The Opposition has only used Babasaheb's name all their lives. They neither shared his pain nor worked to develop places linked to his legacy. Today, they roam around carrying copies of the Constitution, but when they were in power, they violated it multiple times. They even imposed Emergency through constitutional amendments for their selfish interests."

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP leader Mohan Yadav accused the Congress of historically harbouring a "feeling of hostility" towards Ambedkar and demanded an apology from the party.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami described the implementation of Uniform Civil Code in the state as a "historic step" towards the building of an India of Ambedkar's dreams.

Addressing a function in Dehradun, Dhami said Ambedkar believed in equal and uniform laws for every citizen, no matter which caste, religion or community they belonged to.

Governors and chief ministers of various states, including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana also paid tributes to Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.

Born in a Dalit family in 1891, Ambedkar was a brilliant student who went on to study abroad and made a mark for his scholarship in economics and law, and his passionate championing of the interests of Dalits. The discrimination the first law minister of India suffered in Indian society turned him into a committed social reformer.