A 125 feet bronze statue of Dr B R Ambedkar, “the largest in the world”, installed in the heart of Hyderabad was unveiled by Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and Ambedkar’s grandson, ex-MP Prakash Ambedkar, on Friday.
The inauguration of the Rs 146 crore statue of the social reformer and architect of the Indian Constitution on a 50-foot plinth resembling the Parliament building precedes the opening of the new Telangana secretariat on April 30.
KCR christened the Rs 600 crore mega-complex “Dr B R Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat” — a stone’s throw away from the statue.
Following the phased Dalit Bandhu plan, which provides Rs 10 lakh help to SC households in the state, the statue and naming of the secretariat are being considered part of KCR’s Dalit outreach in the Telangana election year.
However, an unimpressed Opposition has reminded KCR of his statehood agitation pledge to make a Dalit the first CM of Telangana and other promises for the community.
“KCR has to tender an unconditional apology to Dalits for failing to make a Dalit the first CM of Telangana and for not fulfilling the promise of giving each of them three acres of land. The CM has no moral right to unveil the statue of Babasaheb,” Telangana BJP chief Bandi Sanjay said while accusing the CM of “humiliating Dalits on every possible occasion”.
Published 14 April 2023, 18:52 IST