President Kovind, PM Modi follow Dr. Ambedkar's ideology: BJP to Mayawati

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Mumbai: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale asserted that both President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi follow Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar's ideology. On Wednesday, Athawale's response came in the backdrop of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo accusing President Kovind of having the same anti-Dalit thinking as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "He (President Kovind) is from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but he believes in Dr. Ambedkar's ideology. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also following the same ideology." Athawale further criticised Mayawati for ignoring the time when she thrice became the Chief Minister with the support from the saffron party. Uttar Pradesh BJP media in-charge Harish Srivastava tuned in the same lines, and said that had Mayawati adopted Dr. Ambedkar's philosophies, she would have not passed such comments about the President. "Instead of advising the President, had she (Mayawati) adopted Dr. Ambedkar's philosophy, then she would not have come up with such statement," Srivastava said. "President Ram Nath Kovind should have laid the flowers of reverence on the statue of Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar because of whom he is now able to become the President of India. Not paying tribute to Bhim Rao Ambedkar's statue in the Parliamentary premises shows that he has the anti-Ambedkar thinking of the BJP," Mayawati had said. She added that President Kovind, in his political life, has represented the narrow and casteist thinking of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). "This was not expected from him. If not anybody else, then at least this can be expected from a person who is associated with the Dalit community that he will always be thankful for the struggles that Ambedkar went through and the sacrifices he made," she asserted. Kovind was elected the President last Thursday as a National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate. He defeated the Opposition's nominee Meira Kumar by a huge margin. President Kovind was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar at the Central Hall of the Parliament in presence of outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee on the dais.