Congress' Sanjay Nirupam garlands Dr Ambedkar's statue in Mumbai
Congress workers, led by Mumbai Regional Congress Committee President Sanjay Nirupam, staged a symbolic protest in the city on Tuesday on the occasion of Dalit icon Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary.
Party workers lit candles and garlanded the Ambedkar statue on the land the state government has put aside for the leader's memorial.
The land was recently transferred by the Central government to the BJP-led Maharashtra government, but waits to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a nine-day tour to Europe and Canada. The state government plans to build a memorial and an international research Centre on this land in the memory of Dr Ambedkar.
"The state government had announced that on the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, bhoomi pujan will take place but they cancelled it just to travel outside India. We condemn it. That's why we performed a symbolic bhoomi pujan", Mr Nirupam told NDTV.
The BJP, however, lashed out at the Congress for failing to transfer the same land, despite being in power for 15 years. Maharashtra was governed by the Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP for 15 years till the BJP formed government in the state last year.
"This government has done everything to protect the ethos and thoughts of Babasaheb Ambedkar. The Congress is left with no choice but drama," BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said.
However, with local body polls nearing in cities in Maharashtra, questions are being raised about parties attempting to woo the Dalit vote-bank.
"No matter how much the Congress tries to politicise the issue, the Dalit community will not vote for them. Assembly Elections and Lok Sabha elections are proof that the Congress has lost out on Dalit votes," said Ramdas Athawale, Chief of the Republican Party of India, which is part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra.
"This has nothing to do with politics. It is our attachment and emotional bonding towards Babasaheb," Mr Nirupam told NDTV.
The leaders were at a function organised by the city's municipal body to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar.