Hyderabad: The Telangana BJP has decided to hold a series of events for a week, marking the birth anniversary of Dr Br Ambedkar. The development comes amid the passage of the Telangana Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservations) Bill by the Congress govt in the Telangana Assembly. The Telangana BJP is formulating a strategy to position itself as the party fighting for the rights of Dalits. It also aims to make inroads into the 17 reserved assembly seats in the state where the saffron party never secured a victory.
As part of the events, BJP leaders and workers will visit Ambedkar statues at every booth and village in all districts across the state and pay tributes to the architect of the Constitution. It is estimated that there are approximately 30,000 statues in the state. Additionally, meetings will be held statewide to inform the public about how the Congress has historically disrespected Ambedkar, while the BJP honoured the architect of the Indian Constitution through the creation of ‘Panchteerth’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi coined the term ‘Panchteerth’ in remembrance of Amedbkar’s birthplace in Mhow of Madhya Pradesh.
The party has been preparing for these events for weeks, with activities set to begin on April 13. Union minister and BJP Telangana chief Kishan Reddy will pay his respects by garlanding the Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund, while Union minister of state for home affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar will visit, clean, and garland the Ambedkar statue in Karimnagar.
“We have not achieved a significant percentage of votes in the reserved constituencies, and the party lacks a strong presence within the community. There has been a persistent misinformation campaign by Congress suggesting that the NDA government intends to abolish reservations. Despite the BJP being in power at the Centre for 15 years, this has not occurred,” a senior BJP leader said.
“The week-long programmes will provide an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate our unwavering solidarity with Dalits and our dedication to uplift them, as well as to highlight the respect that BJP govts shown towards Ambedkar,” he further said.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Rani Rudram said that seminars will be organised in every district, featuring distinguished intellectuals, poets, artists, doctors, engineers, social reformers, and labour union leaders. “Two chief guests from the state BJP will participate and address these gatherings. The primary subjects of discussion will include the rights and freedoms conferred upon the citizens by the Constitution, the Congress party’s betrayal of Ambedkar over the last 74 years, and the recognition the BJP govt to Ambedkar in the past decade,” she added.
