Terming Dr. B.R. Ambedkar a national leader, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson and former Minister Priyank Kharge expressed discontent over efforts being made by vested interests to project Ambedkar as a leader of Dalits.
“Ambedkar is India’s national leader who fought for the uplift of all oppressed and marginalised communities and to make them stand on an equal footing with others. His fight for equality and brotherhood is unparallel. However, some vested interests in society have been trying to confine him to a particular community,” Mr. Kharge said.
He was addressing a public meeting organised at Herur (B) village in Afzalpur taluk of Kalaburagi district on Monday, as part of the celebrations of Ambedkar’s 131st birth anniversary.
“Dr. Ambedkar was opposed to personality cult. But, we are doing exactly what he had opposed. We often offer a grand welcome to politicians with garlands. We need to get rid of such immaturities by understanding and adopting Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts in our daily lives,” Mr. Kharge said.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled programme of the inauguration of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics University (BASE) in Bengaluru, Mr. Kharge said that the Congress had initiated the establishment of the institute.
“It was the Congress government that had established the BASE in Bengaluru along the lines of the London School of Economics. Now, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived to inaugurate it,” Mr. Kharge said.
Legislator M.Y. Patil and Congress leaders Tippannappa Kamaknur, Shivanand Patil, J.A. Korabu, Siddarth, Shivanand Pyati, Sunil Doddamani and others were present.
