PM Narendra Modi 'excited' about visiting B R Ambedkar's house in London

NEW DELHI: In what could be an attempt to reach out to Dalits in the middle of Bihar polls where their support will be crucial for BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday invoked B R Ambedkar in the context of his upcoming trip to the UK and said he was very excited about it as he would be visiting the Dalit icon's house there.

"A day after Diwali (November 11), I am going to Britain. I am excited about my visit to Britain and the reason for it is special. A few weeks back, I had gone to Mumbai to lay the foundation stone for a big memorial for Babasaheb Ambedkar. Now, in London, I will formally inaugurate the house where Babasaheb Ambedkar lived, which recently became the Indian government's property and a place of inspiration for 125 crore Indians," he said.

The PM noted that the issue related to acquisition of 'Ambedkar House' had been entangled for several years and it was now the property of 125 crore Indians. The three-storey house was recently bought by the Maharashtra government. Modi's visit to the house is an important gesture to Dalits and appears to have political significance in the context of Bihar polls.

Modi said, "When Ambedkar's name is associated, you can imagine how much happiness people like me have."

He said Ambedkar was an inspiration for Dalits, the oppressed, the deprived, the backwards and all other Indians who live a difficult life that if there is willpower, one can make progress in life and get educated.

The PM said the central government also encourages capable Dalit youth.

The PM also talked about the importance of organ donation and the progress of the 'MP Adarsh Gram Yojana'. In the context of Adarsh Gram Yojana, he singled out the works of three MPs - Karia Munda ( Jharkhand), Ashok Gajapati Raju ( Andhra Pradesh) and C L Ruala (Mizoram) -- and praised them for their efforts.

He said Munda had adopted a village despite threats from Naxals and started visiting the village and brought governance to the doorsteps of villagers. While Raju took initiatives to motivate students to teach the elders of the village Dwarapuri in Vijayanagram district in AP, Ruala started a sugarcane festival in a village which was adopted by him as Adarsh Gram and showed how the village could be converted into a model to attract economic activities.