On Ambedkar Jayanti, PM Narendra Modi may reiterate his government's commitment to quota

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reiterate his government’s commitment to caste-based reservations on April 14 when he will address a rally to observe B R Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary at his birthplace in Mhow. With Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh scheduled next year, BJP plans to use the Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti to reach out to Dalits, who comprise 21 per cent of the state’s population. The day will be celebrated as ‘Samajik Samrasta Divas’. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has been asked to ensure presence of 10 lakh Dalits and tribals to the Mhow rally.

The message is clear – the rally has to make an impact. BJP leaders claim that the occasion is a huge opportunity for the government to make a mid-course correction as it was increasingly being viewed as pro-industrialists. “The attempt is to come across as a government that touches the life of the poorest of the poor. The launch of Stand Up India scheme is part of the same effort,” a senior BJP leader told ET. Targeted at Scheduled Castes and Tribes and women, the scheme is expected to help them get loans of between Rs 10 lakh and one crore for their non-farm businesses. It is no surprise that the Prime Minister chose Noida in UP to launch the scheme.

In addition to making a strong statement in support of reservation, the Prime Minister is also likely to announce the Ambedkar Panch-Teerth that will entail converting five places connected to the Dalit icon as pilgrimages. These pilgrim points include Indu Mills in Dadar (Mumbai) where he was cremated.