Modi cites Ambedkar legacy, says no scrapping of quota
The Prime Minister on Sunday invoked the architect of the Constitution saying there wouldn't have been a Narendra Modi had B R Ambedkar not existed, lauding his role in mandating affirmative action for the backward communities and thereby empowering them politically. He also rejected the opposition charge that the BJP would scrap quota or ever call for its review.“Every time a BJP government is in power, a group of liars spreads the malicious propaganda that we're out to scrap reservations. It happened during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government's time as well,“ Modi said at a well-attended public meeting at MMRDA grounds here. “This falsehood must stop,“ he said.
Modi's explicit comments come a day ahead of the first phase of polling in Bihar where reservations turned into a hot-button political issue following RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's call for a review of the policy . His observations thus seemed aimed as much at attracting criticism as at attempting to appropriate one more Congress icon, Ambedkar, after Sardar Patel.
“We're the rightful torch-bearers of the teachings of Ambedkar. It is we who have to carry forward his work and we believe in his principles,“ Modi said, adding, “If you look at the ground realities, any state with the maximum number of Dalits, Adivasis or OBC population have voted us to power. This indicates that we champion the cause of the Dalits, the downtrodden and the poor.“
Modi said November 26 will be observed every year as “Constitution Day“ and there will be awareness programmes on the Indian Constitution in schoolscolleges. Modi earlier laid the foundation for Ambedkar Memorial in the heart of the city, and said his government has embarked on a project to develop five landmarks associated with Ambedkar's life as “Panch teerths“ five holy places for millions to come and pay homage.
Apart from the Indu Mill, other places to be developed as part of the project are Ambdekar's birth place Mau in Madhya Pradesh, his Alipur Road residence in Delhi, his parents' village in coastal Maharashtra and the house where he lived in London.
Speaking on the delay in building the memorial to Ambedkar in Mumbai, Modi said, “The plan of building Ambedkar's memorial at Indu Mills faced a deadlock for 15 years when the previous government failed to set it up. But, just a few months after assuming power, we laid the foundation stone for the memorial today .“
He said efforts will be made to put the memorial on the global map. “ Ambedkar is not just a leader of the Dalit but he holds a special place in our heart and we will make this memorial popular internationally . We will get a sapling from every country and plant it here,“ the PM said.
“If Ambedkar had not been there, where this Modi would be?“ he asked.He also deplored the delay in awarding the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar.
Modi expressed satisfaction that leaders of various Dalit parties came together on a single platform today on the occasion of foundation-laying for the Ambedkar Memorial. Modi said trees from all states should be planted at the memorial where people from villages would come and find peace.
Modi's explicit comments come a day ahead of the first phase of polling in Bihar where reservations turned into a hot-button political issue following RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's call for a review of the policy . His observations thus seemed aimed as much at attracting criticism as at attempting to appropriate one more Congress icon, Ambedkar, after Sardar Patel.
“We're the rightful torch-bearers of the teachings of Ambedkar. It is we who have to carry forward his work and we believe in his principles,“ Modi said, adding, “If you look at the ground realities, any state with the maximum number of Dalits, Adivasis or OBC population have voted us to power. This indicates that we champion the cause of the Dalits, the downtrodden and the poor.“
Modi said November 26 will be observed every year as “Constitution Day“ and there will be awareness programmes on the Indian Constitution in schoolscolleges. Modi earlier laid the foundation for Ambedkar Memorial in the heart of the city, and said his government has embarked on a project to develop five landmarks associated with Ambedkar's life as “Panch teerths“ five holy places for millions to come and pay homage.
Apart from the Indu Mill, other places to be developed as part of the project are Ambdekar's birth place Mau in Madhya Pradesh, his Alipur Road residence in Delhi, his parents' village in coastal Maharashtra and the house where he lived in London.
Speaking on the delay in building the memorial to Ambedkar in Mumbai, Modi said, “The plan of building Ambedkar's memorial at Indu Mills faced a deadlock for 15 years when the previous government failed to set it up. But, just a few months after assuming power, we laid the foundation stone for the memorial today .“
He said efforts will be made to put the memorial on the global map. “ Ambedkar is not just a leader of the Dalit but he holds a special place in our heart and we will make this memorial popular internationally . We will get a sapling from every country and plant it here,“ the PM said.
“If Ambedkar had not been there, where this Modi would be?“ he asked.He also deplored the delay in awarding the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar.
Modi expressed satisfaction that leaders of various Dalit parties came together on a single platform today on the occasion of foundation-laying for the Ambedkar Memorial. Modi said trees from all states should be planted at the memorial where people from villages would come and find peace.
Source : The Times of India (Mumbai)
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