The Congress on Monday accused the Modi government of paying only "lip service" to B R Ambedkar's legacy but doing nothing to fulfil his wishes, claiming the BJP-RSS were "enemies" of the architect of the Constitution.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his criticism of the Congress' treatment of Ambedkar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge cited a letter by Ambedkar penned in 1952, in which he blamed S A Dange and V D Savarkar for his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters on Ambedkar's 135th birth anniversary, Kharge claimed that the timing of paying floral tributes in the Central Hall at Samvidhan Sadan is usually around 11 am, but it was fixed around 9 am on Monday.
"The timing was changed to suit Narendra Modi, but the prime minister still did not reach the Central Hall to pay tribute to Babasaheb," Kharge said.
His claim of change in timing, however, could not be independently verified.
Kharge stressed the need for a nationwide caste census as well as implementation of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in private educational institutions.
He said the Constitution is a gift from Ambedkar to the citizens, as it gives them the right of social, economic and political justice.
"We took this forward in the AICC session by forwarding the ideas of social justice," he said.
Kharge also said the Congress wants to forward five issues that it is striving for and asserted that a nationwide caste census is necessary.
"The Centre is making policies on the basis of the 2011 census, and nothing is known about the 2021 census which was supposed to happen. Policies are made on the basis of census. We demand that along with the general census, a caste census be conducted so as to know how much which section has progressed," he said, adding that the government is not ready to get a caste census done.
Kharge also asserted that the fundamental guarantee given under Article 15(5), introduced by the Congress on January 20, 2006, to provide reservation to OBCs, SCs and STs in private educational institutions must be implemented without delay.
He also highlighted the need for a central law for the SC/ST sub-plan and guarantee for budgetary allocations in accordance with their population.
Stressing the need to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations, the Congress chief said that when the Women's Reservation Bill was passed two years ago, the party's demand was that it should be implemented immediately and there should be a quota for SC, ST and OBC women under it.
The Congress will struggle from Parliament to streets for these five demands, Kharge said.
"The Modi government takes the name of Ambedkar but is not ready to fulfil his aspirations and wishes. They only pay lip service," he said.
There are many articles in the Constitution for the protection of Dalits, many laws have also been made, but they are not being followed, he alleged.
"Even when Rajasthan's Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully goes to the Ram Mandir, the place is washed with Gangajal," he said.
"On one hand, Narendra Modi calls himself a leader of the backward classes, but when atrocities are committed against the backward class people and Dalits in the country, he does not utter a word on it," the Congress chief alleged.
This shows that Modi has "failed" to protect the Constitution, Kharge added.
The truth is that Congress made Babasaheb a member of the Constituent Assembly and the chairman of the drafting committee, the Congress leader said.
"The RSS people burnt the copy of the Constitution at the Ramlila Maidan. The disciples of those whose ancestors burnt the copy of the Constitution, burnt the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, are today members of the BJP," he claimed.
"So, the BJP should not mislead the public, because everyone knows the truth," Kharge said.
Ambedkar is recognised for his lifelong struggle for the empowerment of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and his key role in drafting the Constitution.
Born in a Dalit family in 1891, he was a brilliant student who went on to study in foreign countries. The discrimination he suffered in the society turned him into a committed social reformer. He was India's first law minister.
He passed away in 1956.
Earlier in a post in Hindi, Kharge said, "Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar gave the people of the country the Constitution of India based on the democratic values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, which is the most powerful tool for social justice and inclusive development."
Ambedkar described inclusiveness as his ultimate duty for the progress and unity of the country and strongly emphasised protecting the rights of all, Kharge said.
"On his 135th birth anniversary, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to his ideas of social change and social justice. The Congress takes an oath that we will always remain committed to the protection of constitutional values and the protection of democracy," he said.
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".
"Tributes to Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, on his birth anniversary," Rahul Gandhi said on X.
"His contribution to and struggle for strengthening the country's democracy, for equal rights of every Indian and for the participation of every section will always guide us in the fight to protect the Constitution," the former Congress president said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid tributes to Ambedkar and called on the people to pledge to protect the Constitution and its values under all circumstances.
Kharge, along with former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, also paid floral tributes to Ambedkar in the Central Hall at Samvidhan Sadan.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his criticism of the Congress' treatment of Ambedkar, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge cited a letter by Ambedkar penned in 1952, in which he blamed S A Dange and V D Savarkar for his defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to reporters on Ambedkar's 135th birth anniversary, Kharge claimed that the timing of paying floral tributes in the Central Hall at Samvidhan Sadan is usually around 11 am, but it was fixed around 9 am on Monday.
"The timing was changed to suit Narendra Modi, but the prime minister still did not reach the Central Hall to pay tribute to Babasaheb," Kharge said.
His claim of change in timing, however, could not be independently verified.
Kharge stressed the need for a nationwide caste census as well as implementation of reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs in private educational institutions.
He said the Constitution is a gift from Ambedkar to the citizens, as it gives them the right of social, economic and political justice.
"We took this forward in the AICC session by forwarding the ideas of social justice," he said.
Kharge also said the Congress wants to forward five issues that it is striving for and asserted that a nationwide caste census is necessary.
"The Centre is making policies on the basis of the 2011 census, and nothing is known about the 2021 census which was supposed to happen. Policies are made on the basis of census. We demand that along with the general census, a caste census be conducted so as to know how much which section has progressed," he said, adding that the government is not ready to get a caste census done.
Kharge also asserted that the fundamental guarantee given under Article 15(5), introduced by the Congress on January 20, 2006, to provide reservation to OBCs, SCs and STs in private educational institutions must be implemented without delay.
He also highlighted the need for a central law for the SC/ST sub-plan and guarantee for budgetary allocations in accordance with their population.
Stressing the need to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations, the Congress chief said that when the Women's Reservation Bill was passed two years ago, the party's demand was that it should be implemented immediately and there should be a quota for SC, ST and OBC women under it.
The Congress will struggle from Parliament to streets for these five demands, Kharge said.
"The Modi government takes the name of Ambedkar but is not ready to fulfil his aspirations and wishes. They only pay lip service," he said.
There are many articles in the Constitution for the protection of Dalits, many laws have also been made, but they are not being followed, he alleged.
"Even when Rajasthan's Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully goes to the Ram Mandir, the place is washed with Gangajal," he said.
"On one hand, Narendra Modi calls himself a leader of the backward classes, but when atrocities are committed against the backward class people and Dalits in the country, he does not utter a word on it," the Congress chief alleged.
This shows that Modi has "failed" to protect the Constitution, Kharge added.
The truth is that Congress made Babasaheb a member of the Constituent Assembly and the chairman of the drafting committee, the Congress leader said.
"The RSS people burnt the copy of the Constitution at the Ramlila Maidan. The disciples of those whose ancestors burnt the copy of the Constitution, burnt the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi and Nehru, are today members of the BJP," he claimed.
"So, the BJP should not mislead the public, because everyone knows the truth," Kharge said.
Ambedkar is recognised for his lifelong struggle for the empowerment of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and his key role in drafting the Constitution.
Born in a Dalit family in 1891, he was a brilliant student who went on to study in foreign countries. The discrimination he suffered in the society turned him into a committed social reformer. He was India's first law minister.
He passed away in 1956.
Earlier in a post in Hindi, Kharge said, "Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar gave the people of the country the Constitution of India based on the democratic values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity, which is the most powerful tool for social justice and inclusive development."
Ambedkar described inclusiveness as his ultimate duty for the progress and unity of the country and strongly emphasised protecting the rights of all, Kharge said.
"On his 135th birth anniversary, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to his ideas of social change and social justice. The Congress takes an oath that we will always remain committed to the protection of constitutional values and the protection of democracy," he said.
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".
"Tributes to Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, on his birth anniversary," Rahul Gandhi said on X.
"His contribution to and struggle for strengthening the country's democracy, for equal rights of every Indian and for the participation of every section will always guide us in the fight to protect the Constitution," the former Congress president said.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also paid tributes to Ambedkar and called on the people to pledge to protect the Constitution and its values under all circumstances.
Kharge, along with former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, also paid floral tributes to Ambedkar in the Central Hall at Samvidhan Sadan.
You may also like
"Central forces have to stay here with full power, police has become TMC's cadre": Suvendu Adhikari on Murshidabad violence
TV star's horror battle to stay alive in Antarctic as penguins set to 'starve to death'
"Shubho Nabo Barsho": PM Modi extends greetings on Poila Boishakh
Tamil Nadu: CM Stalin likely to move resolution today calling for more power to states
FPJ Analysis: Glitches In UPI Unacceptable, Raise Concerns Over Reliability
