'Ram' was part of Dr Ambedkar's name: UP Guv

Reacting to the controversy over including 'Ramji' in Dr B R Ambedkar's name, UP Governor Ram Naik on Tuesday asserted that 'Ram' was part of the full name of the Indian Constitution's key architect and that is how he used to sign in the constituent assembly.

"Some people have the speciality of raking up controversies in politics... in Uttar Pradesh, Dr Ambedkar's name was not being used properly and so I had given a suggestion in this regard to the government," said the Governor who was here to attend a school programme in Dharhara village under Sukhpura police station area.

"A postal stamp released on the centenary functions of his birth anniversary also bore his full name as Dr Bhim Ram Rao Ambedkar... his signatures in the constituent assembly also had his full signatures," Ram Naik said.

To a question on the Samajwadi Party's allegation that he had remained very vocal during the Akhilesh Yadav government, but has gone silent during Yogi Adityanath's regime, Ram Naik said he had been in the Raj Bhawan for over three years now and had never said anything having political overtones.

"It is another thing if someone sees political colours in my statements," he said, adding he has constitutional responsibilities and does not get involved in political allegations.

The Governor, however, said he as always been putting his views on the incidents taking place in the state.

"I had given two suggestions to the then CM Akhilesh Yadav for holding foundation day of the state and organising a programme to mark 100 years of Bal Gangadhar Tilak's slogan "swaraj mera janmasiddh adhikar hai (Self-rule is my birthright)' which he did not accept but Adityanath accepted," he added.

Earlier in the day, two MPs and a district unit president of the ruling party boycotted the programme organised for the Governor, accusing the local administration of ignoring them.

BJP's Salempur MP Ravindra Kushwaha and the new Rajya Sabha member Sakaldeep Rajbhar along with the party's district president Vinod Shankar Dubey boycotted the programme, stating that both the district administration and the school misbehaved with them.

They said they will complain about it to Chief Minister Adityanath and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

Meanwhile, district Superintendent of Police S P Ganguli said the district administration's role was limited to extending security to the Governor as it was a private programme held by the school.