Why was Mother Teresa awarded Bharat Ratna before BR Ambedkar, asks RSS

NEW DELHI: After RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had recently alleged that Mother Teresa's charity was linked to conversions, Sangh general secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Tuesday questioned her being awarded the Bharat Ratna before Ambedkar.

Joshi said the country and governments have been largely indifferent to the contributions made by Babasaheb Ambedkar. "It is important to think why he got the Bharat Ratna so many years after his death. Mother Teresa got it 10 years before him…it shows our unfortunate indifference towards the great nationalist." He said Ambedkar fought for the self respect of Hindus. He was a leader representing all humanity, not just Dalits. Speaking at the launch of special collector's editions of Organiser and Panchjanya on Ambedkar, Joshi said there were many similarities between Ambedkar and RSS founder KB Hedgewar.

"They were not practising doctors but knew what the society was suffering from. They were healers." RSS has intensified its 'sewa basti' programmes wherein pracharaks reach out to people in slums. Social scientist Narendra Jadhav said: "He spoke about inter-linking of rivers, bifurcation of UP for better administration, gender equality, etc. He was a visionary in many fields that has been forgotten."