KEY POINTS
- Congress removed Ambedkar-Nehru cartoon from NCERT books after backlash
- BRS accused Congress of ignoring Ambedkar statue, halting Dalit Bandhu
- Nehru tried to censor Ambedkar’s resignation speech in Parliament
You will be shocked to know how the Congress party tried to humiliate and suppress Ambedkar during his lifetime, and even today, their actions continue to insult his legacy.
On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, the nation is paying heartfelt tributes to the chief architect of the Indian Constitution, Dr B.R. Ambedkar. But while people from across the country are remembering his contribution, one political party has once again been exposed for its continuous attempts to disrespect and erase his legacy, and that is the Congress party.
Many people still don’t know that Congress tried to censor Ambedkar’s resignation speech from the Cabinet in 1951. For the first time in history, a Cabinet minister was asked to submit a written copy of his speech for approval before speaking in Parliament. That minister was none other than Dr. Ambedkar. Shocked and insulted by this attempt to silence him, he walked out and gave his statement to the press instead. It was a moment that revealed Congress’s insecurity and discomfort with Ambedkar’s bold voice.
But the disrespect didn’t stop there. In 1948, a cartoon drawn by renowned artist Shankar showed Nehru with a whip chasing Ambedkar, seated on a snail, mocking the pace of drafting the Constitution. The cartoon was later included in Class 11 NCERT textbooks in 2006, meant to make learning engaging. But when it created outrage in 2012, instead of standing by Ambedkar’s importance, the UPA government under Congress hurriedly removed the cartoon, not out of respect, but to hide the truth.
Even Ambedkar himself had once slammed the “Congress Press” for constantly misrepresenting him. In 1943, he boldly said that the Congress-controlled media only knew how to “rebuke and revile” him, without ever answering his arguments. He rightly called it one-sided and biased. This shows that Congress, instead of supporting his mission of social justice, was busy sidelining him.
And the pattern continues even today. In Telangana, BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao has accused the Congress government of locking up the world’s tallest 125-foot Ambedkar statue, preventing public access on his death anniversary. He said that Ambedkar’s ideology was being insulted by the Congress CM Revanth Reddy, who didn’t even bother to clean or garland the statue. He also highlighted how Dalit welfare schemes like Dalit Bandhu and Ambedkar Overseas Scholarships were stopped under Congress rule.
What’s even more shocking is that Congress leaders who talk about saving the Constitution are silent when their own party’s government violates the rights of elected MLAs and common people, as seen in Telangana. Their actions clearly show a lack of respect towards democracy and Dr Ambedkar’s vision.
On this Ambedkar Jayanti, as we remember the great leader who fought for justice, equality, and the rights of the oppressed, we must also remember how Congress has repeatedly failed to honour his legacy. From silencing his voice in Parliament to sidelining his contributions in textbooks and now insulting his memory through neglect, Congress has a long history of hypocrisy when it comes to Ambedkar.
ALSO READ: “Six Arrested For Vandalising Ambedkar Statue In Batala, Punjab”
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