Ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal announced the Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship scheme, aimed at supporting Dalit students. The scheme comes amid a controversy over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks about Dr BR Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha.
Kejriwal stated that the scholarship was a response to what he described as Shah's "disrespectful" statement towards the Dalit icon. During a rally where he unveiled the scheme, Kejriwal promised that if AAP secures victory in the February 2025 elections, the Delhi government would fund Dalit students admitted to foreign universities.
In his announcement of the Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship scheme, Kejriwal vowed that no Dalit student in Delhi would have to abandon their studies at foreign universities due to a lack of funds. He highlighted that Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, faced a similar struggle during his time at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) when he was forced to pause his studies due to financial constraints. Ambedkar eventually returned to India, arranged funds, and completed his education at LSE.
Kejriwal expressed strong disapproval of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks about Ambedkar in the Rajya Sabha, accusing Shah of mocking the Dalit icon. He stated that Shah's comments had hurt not only him but also millions of Ambedkar's followers.
"No one would have imagined that in independent India, someone would mock Babasaheb Ambedkar in Parliament. In response to Amit Shah's disrespectful statement, I am launching the Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship," Kejriwal said.
Ahead of the polls, due in February, the AAP supremo has promised Rs 2,100 per month to all adult women and free treatment of senior citizens at government and private hospitals if his party returns to power.
Ambedkar row
A major controversy erupted on Tuesday after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha, remarked that it had become a "fashion" to mention Dr BR Ambedkar's name. "It has become the fashion to say Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar... If they (the Opposition) took God's name so many times, they would get a place in heaven," he said.
This comment triggered strong reactions from the Opposition, with parties like Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Congress demanding Shah's resignation. Both parties also moved privilege motions in Parliament against the Home Minister.
Shah defended his remarks and accused the Congress of distorting facts by selectively using clipped videos, claiming they were unable to counter allegations of attacking the Constitution and democracy in India. He also refused to step down, asserting that his resignation would not "solve the Congress' problems."