Ambedkar's family bore expenses transporting his mortal remains from Delhi to Mumbai, says MP CM

Gwalior, June 28 (IANS) Amid ongoing barbs exchanged between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress over the Constitution and its architect B.R. Ambedkar, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Saturday, launched a scathing attack at the grand old party.

During an inspection of a memorial of Ambedkar being established in Jorasi area in Gwalior district, CM Yadav alleged that when Ambedkar's mortal remains were transported to Mumbai's Chaitya Bhoomi, his wife had paid the entire expenses.

"Congress didn't give a portion of land in New Delhi to perform the last rites of Ambedkar, and when his mortal remains were flown to Mumbai, the Congress government took air expenses from his wife. This is what the Congress did with Ambedkar," the Chief Minister said while talking to media persons.

The Congress and BJP have been engaged in a political war of words over the installation of Ambedkar's statue at the premises of the Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court.

The proposed development, which snowballed into a political controversy, is being examined by the Supreme Court.

Faced with the allegations from the Congress over installation of Ambedkar's statue in the court premises, Chief Minister Yadav hit out at the grand old party during his inspection visit to Ambedkar's memorial being established by the BJP government in Gwalior.

The Chief Minister said that the first phase of work of Ambedkar's memorial is near completion, and he will perform the 'bhoomi pujan' for the second phase of the work by next month.

In a targeted attack at the Nehru-Gandhi family, CM Yadav reiterated that Congress missed no opportunity to insult Ambedkar.

"The Congress never thought of putting a photo of Ambedkar in the Parliament, but the BJP government established a memorial of Ambedkar in his birthplace in Indore's Mhow. Now, another memorial of the architect of the Indian Constitution is being established in Gwalior," he said.

Launching a pointed attack on the grand old party for imposition of Emergency in Indore 50 years ago, the Chief Minister said that the Emergency was a blot on Congress which it can never remove from itself.

"Those who invoked Emergency in this country to eliminate democracy can never be forgiven. They will never be free from this stigma. And the irony is that they are questioning the BJP government," CM Yadav added.

--IANS

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