No other govt honoured Ambedkar as we did, says PM Modi amid Dalit unrest

Seeking to reach out to the Dalit community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said no regime had honoured B R Ambedkar like his government had.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering after the inauguration of Western Court Annexe Building in New Delhi on Wednesday. PTI

NEW DELHI: Seeking to reach out to the Dalit community, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said no regime had honoured B R Ambedkar like his government had. The prime minister asserted that the Union Government is walking on the path shown by B R Ambedkar. At the core of Dr. Ambedkar's ideals is harmony and togetherness, he said. Modi's remarks come soon after widespread protests, some turning violent, in different parts of the country over a Supreme Court verdict putting in place safeguards to prevent misuse of a law to prevent atrocities of SCs and STs. "No government has, perhaps, given respect to Babasaheb the way our government has. Instead of dragging him into politics, we should all try to walk on the path he has shown us...," he said. The prime minister was speaking at the inauguration of an annexe building at Western Court that acts as a transit accommodation for newly elected lawmakers.

Modi said it was his government that completed the Ambedkar international centre though the idea was conceived when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister. "There are two places in Delhi, which are associated with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, on whom the Vajpayee Government had made crucial decisions. It was our Government that got the opportunity to work on them and pay tributes to Dr. Ambedkar," he said.

There are two places in Delhi, which are associated with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, on whom the Vajpayee Government had made crucial decisions. It was our Government that got the opportunity to work on them and pay tributes to Dr. Ambedkar: PM @narendramodi

— PMO India (@PMOIndia) April 4, 2018

The 26, Alipur Road house where the Dalit icon died would be dedicated to the nation on April 13 on the eve of his birth anniversary. "On 13th April, a day before Ambedkar Jayanti, I will have the honour to inaugurate the memorial at Delhi’s 26, Alipur Road the place of Dr. Ambedkar’s Mahaparinirvan," he said on Twitter.

On 13th April, a day before Ambedkar Jayanti, I will have the honour to inaugurate the memorial at Delhi’s 26, Alipur Road the place of Dr. Ambedkar’s Mahaparinirvan. pic.twitter.com/fzWYv5a6NA

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 4, 2018