Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee paid rich tributes to Architect of Indian Constitution Babasaheb Dr. Bheem Rao Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary on Thursday.
TPCC President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and other senior leaders of Telangana Congress paid floral tributes to Dr. Ambedkar’s portrait at Gandhi Bhavan. Speaking to media persons later, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Dr. Ambedkar was in favour of smaller States and Telangana State became a reality due to the Constitution drafted by him. “Dr. Ambedkar provided so much flexibility in the Constitution that it empowered people to make amendments as and when needed. Congress party followed the same Constitutional route created by Dr. Ambedkar to carve out Telangana by passing Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill in the Parliament,” he said.
However, Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed regret that Dalits failed to get deserved benefits and justice in the new State. He said Telangana Rashtra Samithi cheated the Dalits by promising to make a Dalit the first Chief Minister of Telangana. “TRS chief K. Chandrashekar Rao became the Chief Minister by openly cheating the Dalit community and the entire State. Further, KCR adopted anti-Dalit policies by subjecting them to humiliation, torture and injustice,” he alleged.
Reacting on the foundation stone laid by KCR for the construction of 125-feet statue of Dr. Ambedkar, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Congress wholeheartedly welcomes any memorial of Dr. Ambedkar. However, he said that the TRS Government should give a commitment that the memorial would be ready within the promised time of one year. “KCR had laid a foundation stone for the construction of Babu Jagjeevan Ram Bhavan with much fanfare on December 12, 2014, and the proposal has hit a roadblock due to legal complications on the proposed site. The same thing should not recur with Dr. Ambedkar’s statue,” he said.
The TPCC Chief said real tributes to Dr. Ambedkar could be paid by providing equal growth opportunities to Dalits in the State. He slammed the TRS Government for not fulfilling the promises of spending Rs. 50,000 crore on their welfare, providing three acres of land to each Dalit family and effectively implementation of SC Sub-Plan. He said KCR had humiliated Dalits on multiple occasions. He sacked a Dalit Deputy CM (Dr. T. Rajaiah) from his cabinet unceremoniously, failed to act on gang-rape of a Dalit girl and adopted questionable silence on the suicide of Dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. He even failed to ensure dismissal or transfer of Hyderabad Central University’s Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao despite giving an assurance in Assembly that he would get this done by speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi within two-three days time. “KCR is now trying to act innocent and hopes to cover up his sins by laying foundation stone for 125-feet statue of Dr. Ambedkar. His sins against Dalits are taller than the proposed statue,” he said.
Later, Uttam Kumar Reddy distributed books among poor Dalit students at a programme held in Pardhiwada of Puranapul. He, along with other senior Congress leaders, also had lunch with the Dalit families. GHCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, Telangana Youth Congress president Anil Kumar Yadav, GHCC General Secretary Syed Nizamuddin, ex-Corporator Mohammed Ghouse and other leaders were also present. (INN)