Fadnavis Accuses Congress of Exploiting Ambedkar's Legacy for Political Gains
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Mumbai, Dec 24 (NationPress) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday criticized the Congress party for engaging in politics under the guise of honoring Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, asserting that the long-standing party neglected to award him the Bharat Ratna.
The Chief Minister addressed reporters following Rahul Gandhi's visit to Parbhani, where he met the family of Somnath Suryavanshi, a Dalit youth who tragically died in judicial custody after being arrested during a protest linked to the alleged desecration of a Constitution replica.
Fadnavis also criticized Congress for planning nationwide protests in response to comments made by Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Ambedkar during a Constitution debate in the Rajya Sabha.
He asserted that the death of Suryavanshi has been politicized, claiming that Gandhi's visit to Parbhani was an effort to incite caste-based animosity.
“Rahul Gandhi squandered Parliament's time, and now he is wasting the people's time. During a parliamentary session, PM Modi unveiled how Pandit Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and the Gandhi family opposed Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and reservations in the Constitution. Thus, the Congress party is merely staging a performance,” Fadnavis alleged.
“Congress obstructed Babasaheb Ambedkar's election. We had to campaign for years to establish a memorial at Indu Mill, where he passed away. However, Congress failed to allocate land for the memorial. Now, thanks to the leadership of Modi as Prime Minister and myself as Chief Minister, a memorial is being constructed there. In London, where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar studied, his house was put up for auction. During the Congress regime, many groups requested that this house should be preserved. However, after our government assumed power, we secured that property. The BJP has worked to honor the memory of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, while Congress only seeks to politicize his name. They did not even bestow the Bharat Ratna upon him,” he emphasized while intensifying his criticism of Congress.
During his visit to Parbhani on Monday, Gandhi launched a fierce critique against Fadnavis and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), alleging that systemic caste discrimination led to Suryawanshi’s demise.
He further claimed that Suryawanshi’s death was “100 percent custodial.” He accused the state government of failing to safeguard Dalit lives and uphold the Constitution, which Suryawanshi was reportedly championing before his arrest.
