BENGALURU: The yet-to-be-opened Namma Metro station near Vidhana Soudha will be named after Dr B R Ambedkar.
Announcing this at the celebrations of Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on Thursday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there had been several requests to name the Yeshwantpur railway station after Ambedkar as well. He said the government will write to the Centre seeking the change of name for the railway station and senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge would urge the Centre to agree to it.
The government has declared it will celebrate 2016 as the year of Ambedkar. “He always stressed on education. We will start a research chair at Bangalore University in D Basavalingappa’s name. The government is also mulling starting a school of economics in Ambedkar’s name,” the CM said.
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said everyone should adopt the principles advocated by Ambedkar.
“He did not believe in idol worship. He was instrumental in getting the lower and disadvantaged classes the right of franchise. If dalits remain united, they can succeed in any enterprise,” he said.
Later, at a function organised in Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah said, “I have presented four budgets after my government came to power. Three budgets were called ‘AHINDA budgets’. What is wrong with that? The inspiration for us to formulate policies for AHINDA classes is Ambedkar. He is the inspiration for all our movements and agitations.”
The government organised seminars, exhibitions and awareness programmes on the occasion. The government also presented an award to Dr S Chinnaswamy Mamballi for his work in empowering people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes.