Nehru 'ill-treated' Ambedkar; SC/ST communities should be informed: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 24 (PTI): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday claimed that it was India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who "insulted" B R Ambedkar and even joined hands with the Left parties to defeat him in elections.
His remarks come in the wake of Congress' continuous accusations against the BJP of "disrespecting" Constitutional principles and "insulting" Ambedkar.
Joshi, the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Food, and Consumer Affairs, urged local BJP workers to visit every street, with a special focus on the SC/ST communities, to inform them about the alleged ill-treatment of Ambedkar by Nehru.
Speaking at the Constitution Pride Day event in Thiruvananthapuram, a programme the BJP is organising nationwide to mark the 75th year of the Constitution, the Union Minister claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru never wanted Ambedkar in the government, and it was only due to the insistence of Mahatma Gandhi that he was included.
Joshi also claimed that Congress undermined the Constitution by declaring the Emergency during Indira Gandhi's rule and making several amendments that went against its spirit.
"The Congress in the country was always against the welfare of SC/ST communities in the country," he contended.
He urged BJP workers to go beyond conducting Constitution Pride Day seminars in big hotels and take to the streets to inform people about the alleged injustice Ambedkar faced at the hands of Nehru.
BJP state president K Surendran accused Kerala of being the only state in the country attempting to undermine the Constitution.
"The state consistently passes legislation opposing central laws and rejects every law enacted by Parliament. The Constitution does not grant such powers to the states," Surendran claimed.
He further alleged that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government misuses powers not conferred by the Constitution and seeks to obstruct investigations conducted by national agencies.
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BJP leaders take out march to lay siege to K'taka CM's house, taken into preventive custody
Bengaluru (PTI): Former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and several other senior BJP leaders in the state were taken under preventive custody on Thursday when they took out a march to lay siege to the CM Siddaramaiah's Office residence.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka were among the BJP MLAs taken into custody.
The party on Wednesday started the day and night protest at the Freedom Park against the price rise and other issues and they started march towards CM's residence on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters later, Vijayendra said the agitation is against the price rise, four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts and diversion of funds meant for Scheduled Caste Sub Plan and Scheduled Tribes Sub Plan.
"We are taking these three key issues to people," Vijayendra said.
The agitations took place in several parts of Karnataka.
According to the BJP office bearers, the party has also planned a 'Janakrosha Yatra' (Public Outrage March) from April 7, starting in Mysuru, which will be flagged off by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi.
As per the schedule, the march on April 7 will cover the Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts. On April 8, it will reach Mandya and Hassan, and on April 9 it will proceed to Kodagu and Mangaluru.
The first phase will conclude in Udupi and Chikkamagaluru on April 10. The second phase, starting on April 13, will cover the Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada districts.
The movement will cover every district in the state. Each district will have a two-to-three-kilometre Padayatra'.
