Leaders cutting across party
lines paid rich tributes to Dalit icon Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his 129th birth anniversary on Tuesday and urged people to light a lamp at home and not venture out.
In view of the lockdown due to coronavirus outbreak, the celebration was subdued as Ambedkar's followers and politicians did not flock the Chaitya Bhoomi, the Constitution architect's memorial in central Mumbai.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale appealed to people to remain indoors.
"Garland Babasaheb's portrait at 11 am in the morning and in evening light lamp of equality outside your homes," he said in a tweet.
The minister said Ambedkar had shown the path of equality todiscrimination prevailing in the society.
NCP president Sharad Pawar said Ambedkar was a symbol of knowledge.
"Let us stay indoors and pay tribute to Ambedkar who was known as a symbol of knowledge. Let us light a lamp for the Constitution of India," he tweeted.
Mumbai Congress president Eknath Gaikwad in his message said, "Let us strive together to work towards a just and equal India. Ambedkar was the architect of our Constitution and also the driving force behind our greatest institutions."
The Maharashtra Congress on its Twitter handle described Ambedkar as a "great crusader of social equality".
Shiv Sena leader and state Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray in a tweet said, "My humble tributes to the architect of Indian Constitution Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Ambedkar."
Senior BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also tweeted his respects to Ambedkar.
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