Not indulging in politics: UP Governor on Ambedkar name row

Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today said he hasn't indulged in politics by pointing out that Dr B R Ambedkar's name was being wrongly used as 'Bhim Rao Ambedkar', and suggesting insertion of 'Ramji' in the name.

Talking to PTI, Naik also dismissed criticism by Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Yashwant Ambedkar that insertion of 'Ramji' was meant for mobilising support for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

"Some persons in politics tend to look at everything from a political angle. That is why they make such allegations," Naik, a three-time MLA and five-time MP from Mumbai, said over phone from Lucknow.

Rubbishing claims that he was playing to the RSS gallery by suggesting insertion of 'Ramji' in Dr Ambedkar's name, Naik said, "Those who don't view Ambedkar only from the political angle have welcomed my suggestion."

"It is unfortunate that some persons involved in politics look at all events from a political lens. This, in a way, is doing injustice to Ambedkar who was an icon. What is happening is sad," the former Union minister said.

 

Naik said he had brought the issue of using the correct nomenclature for Ambedkar to the notice of Prakash Ambedkar in December last year. "I told him that the name of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar was being used as 'Bhim Rao Ambedkar' in English and Hindi in north India. Names of universities have also been named in a similar manner," Naik said.

"In the Constitution copy published by the Lok Sabha secretariat, a page signed by members of the constituent assembly shows signatures of Dr B R Ambedkar as 'Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar' in Hindi and 'B R Ambedkar' in English," he said.

"A postal stamp released by the government at my initiative as an MP in 1991 on the occasion of Ambedkar's birth centenary also had his name as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in Hindi and Dr B R Ambedkar in English," Naik said.

"Even an eminent person like Dr Narendra Jadhav, prominent Marathi writer and former vice chancellor of Pune University, edited four volumes on Dr Ambedkar in Hindi and described his name as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the preface," Naik said.

On March 28, the Uttar Pradesh government issued an order to correct the name of Dr Ambedkar as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in all the government records. Ramji was the name of Dr Ambedkar's father.