Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal announced a scholarship programme for the higher education of Dalit students from Delhi ahead of the assembly polls in the national capital.
Addressing an rally in Delhi, Kejriwal announced the launch of Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship under which the Delhi government will fund the higher education of Dalit students covering costs like transportation and lodging after students secure admission in any university in India or abroad.
The former Delhi CM announced the scheme amid an ongoing row over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on the Dalit leader in the Rajya Sabha.
Kejriwal said the scheme was launched in response to what he described as Amit Shah's "disrespectful" statement on Ambedkar.
"The AAP will ensure that no Dalit student in Delhi has to abandon his studies at foreign universities due to a shortage of funds," he said.
In his address, Kejriwal said Ambedkar had to discontinue his education at the London School of Economics due to a shortage of funds. "He returned home and arranged funds, after which he went back to LSE and completed his education," the AAP chief said.
Kejriwal accused Shah of mocking the Dalit icon saying he and crores of followers of Ambedkar were hurt by the Union Home Minister's statement.
"No one would have imagined that in independent India, someone would mock Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament. In response to Amit Shah's disrespectful statement, I am making this announcement - Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship," he said.
The benefit of the scheme would extend to the children of government employees, Kejriwal added.