LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the Congress and other political parties, including the Samajwadi Party, accusing them of engaging in divisive politics and adopting an immoral and unconstitutional approach.
He alleged that the Congress had consistently been anti-Ambedkar. Referring to past instances in an interaction with the media, CM Yogi claimed that the Congress had a history of depriving Dalits of their rights.
“Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was opposed to Dr BR Ambedkar’s inclusion in the Constituent Assembly,” he claimed.
Yogi accused the Congress of working against Dr BR Ambedkar time and again. He stated that the Congress actively worked to defeat Dr Ambedkar in elections and did not want him to enter Lok Sabha.
“The Congress never allowed a memorial for Dr Ambedkar after his demise,” added the UP CM.
He also highlighted that when Dr Ambedkar resigned from the then government, he accused Congress and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru of giving priority to Muslims over underprivileged classes and Dalits. He pointed out that despite Dr Ambedkar’s immense contributions to India’s freedom movement, Constitution-making, and post-independence progress, he was not made a member of any parliamentary committee.
He accused the then central government, led by Nehru, of ignoring the capabilities of Dr Ambedkar by not giving him portfolios like finance and industry.
Yogi praised Dr Ambedkar as a great son of India, who, despite facing numerous social barriers, achieved the highest levels of education in the fields of law and economics.
“Dr Ambedkar used his profound knowledge and dedication to illuminate India’s path forward,” said the CM.
He alleged that the Congress and SP shared a similar history of neglecting Dr Ambedkar. He pointed out that during SP's tenure, Dr Ambedkar’s name was removed from a college in Kannauj and the Saharanpur Medical College. He also accused both parties of misrepresenting statements by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to create political confusion.
Yogi asked if Rahul Gandhi pushing a BJP MP in Parliament could be considered constitutional.
CM Yogi sought an apology from both the Congress and SP for their actions, asserting that their attempts to mislead the public would fail. He emphasised that the people of India had repeatedly rejected those parties and would continue to do so.
He highlighted that under the NDA government, led by PM Modi, Dalits and the underprivileged were made integral to the government’s welfare initiatives. He cited several schemes, including toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Awas Yojana, free ration distribution, and the Ayushman Bharat health scheme, as examples of programmes benefiting the Dalit community.
Yogi said that his government drew inspiration from Dr Ambedkar’s values and principles, working with dedication to uplift all sections of society. In contrast, he criticised the Congress, alleging that its history had been one of denying Dalits and the underprivileged their rightful opportunities.
Alleging that the Congress had consistently engaged in appeasement politics, which he claimed had been aimed at depriving Dalits and the underprivileged of their rightful opportunities, Yogi accused the Congress of pushing the nation toward division through its policies of appeasement.