Modi govt doing everything against what Ambedkar stood for: Congress

The Congress accused the BJP-led Centre on Thursday of doing everything against what B R Ambedkar stood for, alleging that the rights of Dalits are being suppressed and atrocities against them are rising under this regime.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate claimed that in 2020 alone, as many as 50,291 incidents of crime were committed against Dalits as against 33,000 in 2011.

Addressing a press conference here, she claimed that according to data, 10 Dalit women are raped in the country every day and 22 per cent of the children who are abused are Dalits.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that Ambedkar's vision and dreams on parliamentary democracy look to be in shambles.

"Bills sent to parliamentary committees for discussion during UPA - 71%,

Modi I - 27%, Modi II - 10%. The declining numbers are alarming!

"On the 131st birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, his vision and lifelong dream of parliamentary democracy looks to be in shambles under the Modi government," he wrote on Twitter.

The budget for the welfare of the Scheduled Caste (SC) communities has also been reduced under the BJP government and of the total number of central schemes and subsidies, Dalits have only a 4.4-per cent share, Shrinate alleged.

Recalling the BJP manifesto for the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls, where it promised that the security of Dalits and ensuring social justice for them would be its first priority, she alleged that the condition of the SC communities has worsened under the saffron party.

The Congress leader said even though the Centre claims that there is no manual scavenging in the country, a total of 376 deaths were reported due to it between 2015 and 2020. There have been 161 deaths in the last two years due to the cleaning of septic tanks, which is also considered as manual scavenging, she added.

Shrinate said offering tributes to Ambedkar's statues would not help and described it as mere posturing by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Noting that leaders are paying tributes to Ambedkar, who gave the country its Constitution and is considered as an inspirational figure for social justice, she alleged that the same Constitution is being violated with impunity.

"Babasaheb's biggest message was social justice and his wish was that people who are exploited and deprived should come into the mainstream and there should be equality in the society. But the intentions of this government are different, its policies are also totally opposite to what Babasaheb talked about," she said.

Shrinate said the Congress is celebrating Ambedkar's birth anniversary in all district headquarters across the country with much fanfare.

She said celebrating Ambedkar's birth anniversary really means upholding the ideals he stood for.

"It means that you consider the Constitution he made the most sacred document in the country and you do not suppress the voices of dissent and those of the Dalits. But that is exactly what this government is doing, so you can celebrate it with as much fanfare as you want, but the reality is that in principle and in practice, you are doing everything against what Babasaheb stood for," the Congress leader said.

The BJP accused the Congress on Thursday of belittling Ambedkar and limiting his identity to just a Dalit leader.

BJP general secretary Dushyant Gautam and Union minister Virendra Kumar cited various initiatives taken by the Modi government acknowledging the contributions of Ambedkar.

Gautam said, "Every effort was made by the Congress government to ignore and belittle the contribution of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Congress governments always tried to restrict him in a limited circle by calling him a Dalit leader.

"His contributions were truly acknowledged by the BJP government and the panch-tirth (five holy places) associated with Babasaheb were developed by it.