Union Minister: Congress Surrendered Hindu Areas Won by Ambedkar to Pakistan
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Synopsis
On April 11, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi criticized the Congress party for undermining B.R. Ambedkar and accused them of transferring Hindu-majority areas won by him to Pakistan. He highlighted the party's historical disrespect towards Ambedkar at a centenary celebration event in Bengaluru.
Key Takeaways
- Congress has historically disrespected Ambedkar.
- Hindu-majority constituencies were ceded to Pakistan.
- BJP is honoring Ambedkar through centenary celebrations.
- Congress leaders' attitudes towards Dalits are consistent.
- Ambedkar's contributions to Indian history are significant.
Bengaluru, April 11 (NationPress) Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, on Friday, launched a harsh critique against the Congress party, asserting that they have disrespected B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution, at every opportunity.
He claimed that Congress ceded Hindu-majority constituencies, where Ambedkar had secured victories, to Pakistan as part of their malicious agenda.
Now, he criticized the party for feigning sympathy to attract Dalit votes, he added.
During the inauguration of the "Bheem Hejje" centenary celebration in Bengaluru, Union Minister Joshi accused Congress of intentionally undermining Ambedkar's electoral achievements.
The "Bheem Hejje" event commemorates Ambedkar's address at a 1925 gathering of the Hitakarini Sabha in Nippani, Karnataka.
He alleged that the constituencies of Jessore, Khulna, and Haridpur, where Ambedkar had significant backing, were surrendered to Pakistan.
Joshi stated that Congress has consistently disregarded Ambedkar from the pre-Independence period to the present.
The current Congress government in Karnataka’s failure to celebrate the centenary of Bheem Hejje exemplifies this ongoing neglect, he added.
According to Union Minister Joshi, when Ambedkar sought to join the Constituent Assembly through elections, Congress deliberately thwarted his candidacy twice.
He noted that Ambedkar was eventually elected from Bengal due to the encouragement of Dalit leader Jogendranath Mandal, but even then, Congress could not accept his victory and ensured that the Hindu-majority constituencies he won were transferred to Pakistan.
In the inaugural Lok Sabha election of 1952, when Ambedkar contested from Mumbai North, Congress allegedly positioned their close ally against him to secure his defeat, he noted.
Former Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru himself campaigned against Ambedkar, according to Union Minister Joshi.
Ambedkar faced defeat again in the 1954 Bhandara by-election, he mentioned.
The same Congress party that bestowed a Padma Bhushan on Narayan Kajrolkar, who defeated Ambedkar, has denied him the Bharat Ratna award, claimed the Union Minister.
They even obstructed the unveiling of Ambedkar’s portrait in Parliament and failed to provide a dignified space for his cremation in Delhi, forcing his followers to conduct his last rites on a beach in Mumbai, Union Minister Joshi alleged.
He pointed out that it was the BJP-supported V.P. Singh government in 1990 that finally honored Ambedkar with the Bharat Ratna.
Due to Atal Bihari Vajpayee's insistence, Ambedkar's portrait was installed in Parliament, he added.
Union Minister Joshi also highlighted that Ambedkar was the first Indian to earn a PhD in economics.
He alleged that Ambedkar penned a letter to Nehru's government upon resigning from the party, detailing how Congress humiliated him and opposed reservations for Dalits and OBCs.
He claimed that Congress has erased Ambedkar's letter from history.
Union Minister Joshi noted that when Ambedkar established constitutional reservations for Dalits, Nehru opposed it and communicated with all Chief Ministers against such measures.
Later, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi also delivered lengthy speeches against reservations for Dalits and OBCs, he added.
He stated that today’s Congress leaders continue to embody the same mindset, merely utilizing Dalits, OBCs, and Muslims as vote banks.
Union Minister Joshi claimed that Congress’s anti-Dalit attitude is hereditary, from Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi.
Recently, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge faced disrespect by being seated on a side sofa rather than receiving a prominent place during a Congress event, he noted.
Union Minister Joshi criticized the Congress government in Karnataka for neglecting the Bheem Hejje centenary celebration, while lavishly celebrating Mahatma Gandhi's visit to Belagavi.
He stated that the Congress-led state government should have organized an all-party meeting and conducted the event with due respect, involving Dalit leaders and thinkers.
He added that the BJP is commemorating the centenary of Bheem Hejje—marking Ambedkar's speech at a 1925 conference of the Hitakarini Sabha in Nippani—over five days across different regions of the state.
The grand finale will take place on April 15 in Nipani, featuring a bike rally from Bengaluru to Nipani.
Opposition leaders R. Ashoka, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, BJP MP Govind Karjol, and various Dalit leaders participated in the inauguration of this event in Bengaluru.
