(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Amid simmering Dalit anger across the country over a Supreme Court ruling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday slammed the Congress for playing politics in B R Ambedkar's name and said no other government had honoured the Dalit icon like his administration.
Modi said his government gave Ambedkar, one of the main authors of India's Constitution, his rightful place and completed projects in his memory that were ignored by the previous government.
The prime minister said the 26, Alipur Road house where Ambedkar died would be dedicated to the nation as Ambedkar National Memorial a day before his birth anniversary on April 14.
Speaking at an event to mark the inauguration of Western Court Annexe meant to house MPs in Parliament Complex, Modi said it was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government that decided to dedicate two memorials to Ambedkar at two places in the capital.
Without naming the Congress-led government, Modi said it could not happen as the governments that followed Vajpayee showed little interest, ignored Ambedkar and his contributions and delayed the project for years.
'After that, the governments ran like that... Everybody is always ready to do politics in the name of Babasahib. But nobody gave him the kind of respect and paid tributes to him as much as this government did, Modi said.
He said his Bharatiya Janata Party government was walking the path shown by Ambedkar and asked every political group to try and do the same for the country's development.
'At the core of Ambedkar's ideals is harmony and togetherness. Working for the poorest of the poor is our mission.
The remarks came days after at least 10 people were killed in widespread violence during protests by Dalit groups across the country against a Supreme Court ruling that they said diluted provisions of a law aimed at preventing atrocities against Dalits and tribes.
The rising public anger against the Supreme Court ruling forced the government to file a petition, seeking a review of the order. The top court on Tuesday refused to stay its March 20 decision but said it would hear the petition in 10 days.
The government had come under sharp attack of the opposition with Congress president Rahul Gandhi saying that being anti-Dalit was in the DNA of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Modi and said the prime minister was 'not uttering a word on the alleged atrocities on Dalits and tribals in the country.
In Jaipur meanwhile, Congress' Rajasthan unit chief Sachin Pilot blamed the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government in the state for the deteriorating law and order situation, courtesy the divide and rule policy it had adopted.
Terming the incidents of loot and arson reported in the state during Dalit protests on Monday as 'unfortunate, Pilot said the state government has totally failed on all fronts in dealing with the situation.
In a press statement, Pilot said that the onus of the deteriorating law and order situation goes to the BJP government which failed to predict the intensity of the protests and hence couldn't stop the violence and arson on streets.
'Today, the situation has worsened to the extent that Dalit leaders' houses have also been torched, he added.
Pilot also expressed his surprise at the statement issued by the BJP blaming the Congress for the situation in the state, and said the state's people will give a 'befitting reply to the insensitiveness and apathy of the ruling BJP by electing the Congress in the forthcoming elections.
Hundreds of security forces enforced a curfew in Karauli district of the state a day after a mob set fire to the homes of two political figures from the Dalit community.
Some 5,000 people angered by the Dalit protests torched the houses on Tuesday of a state legislator and former lawmaker.
Neither was at home at the time, the district's top administrative official said.
'We have made some arrests following the arson and violence. A curfew is in place and we have also deployed 600-700 extra security personnel, said Abhimanyu Kumar.
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