Yogi Adityanath Accuses Congress of Disrespecting Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Says Memorial and Last Rites Were Denied in Delhi
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a sharp critique of the Congress party, accusing it of showing deep disrespect towards Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and a towering leader of social justice.
Speaking at an event organized as part of the ‘Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samman Samaroh’ in Lucknow, the chief minister claimed that the Congress had systematically sidelined and humiliated Ambedkar both during his lifetime and after his death.
Adityanath, addressing a gathering that included BJP workers, public representatives, and government officials, alleged that the Congress first ensured Ambedkar’s political isolation by orchestrating his defeat in elections.
“First, they (indirectly referring to Congress) made Babasaheb Ambedkar lose the elections, despite knowing his tireless contribution to the upliftment of Dalits, the backward, and the marginalized,” Adityanath remarked.
The chief minister further alleged that the Congress’s disregard for Ambedkar extended beyond his political career. “After his ‘mahaparinirvaan’ (demise), they did not even allow his last rites to be conducted in the national capital, Delhi, where he had spent his final years,” he said.
Adityanath went on to accuse the Congress of standing in the way of establishing a fitting memorial for Ambedkar in Delhi, the city where he passed away on December 6, 1956.
“The Congress not only denied him the honor he deserved during his lifetime but also worked to erase his memory from the national consciousness by blocking the construction of his memorial,” he stated.
In addition, Adityanath criticized the constitutional amendment introduced by the Congress government in 1976, during the Emergency, which, according to him, inserted a word into the Constitution that Ambedkar himself had earlier argued against.
Though he did not specify the word in his speech, his statement appeared to be referencing the 42nd Amendment, which added terms such as “Socialist” and “Secular” to the Preamble.
Providing a historical context, the chief minister highlighted that after Dr Ambedkar’s passing, his funeral was conducted according to Buddhist rituals, as per his conversion and beliefs.
His mortal remains were taken to Mumbai, where he was cremated at the now-revered site of Chaitya Bhoomi in Dadar — a place that has since become a symbol of inspiration for followers of his ideology and the Dalit community.
Yogi Adityanath’s remarks were part of a larger narrative often put forth by the BJP, which seeks to portray itself as the true political heir to Ambedkar’s social justice legacy while accusing the Congress of opportunistically sidelining him despite his pivotal role in shaping modern India.
The chief minister’s speech also resonated with the larger context of the party’s efforts to reach out to Dalit voters ahead of Ambedkar Jayanti, observed annually on April 14.
The BJP has in recent years intensified its emphasis on Ambedkar’s contributions and the government’s own initiatives aimed at Dalit welfare, seeking to contrast this with the alleged neglect by past Congress-led regimes.
