New Delhi:
Top political leaders paid floral tributes to the statue of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in the Parliament House Complex on Monday morning, marking his 134th birth anniversary. From President Droupadi Murmu to the Gandhi family, all paid homage to the father of the Indian Constitution.
“On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens. In his inspiring life, Babasaheb created a distinct identity of his own despite facing extreme difficulties and earned respect around the world,” President Murmu wrote in a post on X.
Paying tributes to Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, PM Modi said that it was due to his inspiration that the country was dedicated to realising the dream of social justice. “His principles and ideas will strengthen and speed up the building of an ‘aatmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) and developed India,” he said.
Photo Credit: PTI
Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge also paid homage to the statue of Dr Ambedkar.
Photo Credit: PTI
Photo Credit: PTI
Photo Credit: PTI
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was also present to offer the tributes.
Photo Credit: PTI
Every year on April 14, India observes Ambedkar Jayanti, commemorating the birth anniversary of Ambedkar. It is observed as a public holiday in several Indian states and is marked by processions, seminars, and cultural events.
Born on April 14, 1891, in the military cantonment town of Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Dr Ambedkar was a towering figure in Indian history – a distinguished jurist, economist, social reformer, and political leader. As the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, he chaired the drafting committee and later served as the first Law and Justice Minister in the cabinet of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Dr Ambedkar’s early life was marked by discrimination, yet he rose to become the first Dalit to earn a doctorate in economics abroad. A Columbia University graduate and a London School of Economics alumnus, he was a staunch advocate of education as a tool of empowerment. He is also recognised for his lifelong struggle for the empowerment of Scheduled Castes.