Congress accuses BJP of trying to usurp legacy of B R Ambedkar

CHANDIGARH: Congress today accused BJP of trying to "usurp" the legacy of B R Ambedkar for vote-bank politics.

The BJP has no role models and icons so it was trying to embrace leaders like Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel who never liked their ideology, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmad said while speaking at a national level seminar held here on 'Dr B R Ambedkar and Constitution: Socio-economic Empowerment of Dalits'.

"BJP is trying to usurp the legay of Ambedkar," he said adding that "This is being done just for vote bank politics."

The Congress general secretary alleged that the RSS and BJP leaders were always "anti dalits".

RSS and BJP did nothing for the benefit of dalits, he alleged adding that the NDA government is working against the "interests" of dalits.

Former Union minister and Congress MP Kumari Selja said the BJP Government issued more than 14 ordinances but "deliberately" avoided ordinance to stop atrocity on the dalits.

She claimed that it was only after the pressure of the Congress that the BJP passed the atrocity bill.

Selja demanded a law to give reservation to dalits in the promotion.

"Atrocities on dalits have increased in NDA regime," she said.

K Raju, Chairman SC Department AICC said that Baba Saheb's role was not limited to the upliftment of dalits only but he contributed to all sections of the society.

He said that Ambedkar was interested for the upliftment of all sections of the society.

Former Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal stressed the need of economical empowerment of the dalits. and said the benefit of the reservation should reach to the bottom of the society.

Bansal said though the GDP of the country is increasing but the gap between the poor and the rich is increasing.

"We need to devise a system so that the people of the bottom level should get the benefits of the reservation," he said.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress government in Haryana tried for the upliftment of dalits.