Parties spar over Ambedkar

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 9

The discussion in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha today on the contributions of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar to the Constitution turned into a political slugfest between the Treasury and Opposition benches. 

With the Assembly elections round the corner and Dalits being a major vote bank (32 per cent of total voters), the ruling Akali-BJP alliance and Opposition Congress fought on who the true messiah of the Dalits was.

While the Treasury benches used the opportunity to ridicule the Congress for stalling the political career of Dr Ambedkar, the Congress brought out recent instances of atrocities on the Dalits and alleged these incidents were being "overlooked" by the government.

CM Parkash Singh Badal unveiled "the full range of historic conspiracies and untruths plotted and carried out by leaders of the Congress before and after Independence to block the rise of Ambedkar to the top political and executive slot in the corridors of power." 

Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Charanjit Singh Channi, said that Dr Ambedkar wanted to convert to Sikhism, but the Akalis stalled his move.