CM Yogi attends seminar organized under Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samman Abhiyan in Gorakhpur
- BJP walks the path of Baba Saheb, others offer only slogans: CM Yogi
Gorakhpur, April 19: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Saturday, said that Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar endured hardship and humiliation to break social barriers and earn respect for the entire country. It was because of Baba Saheb that every citizen got the right to vote, he added. The Chief Minister was speaking at a seminar held at Gorakhpur Club as part of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Samman Abhiyan. He said, “Many leading countries with developed and modern democracies granted voting rights to black people and women much later, but India, with the formation of its Constitution, gave the right to vote to SC/ST, backward classes, and women in the very first general election of 1952. This was made possible through Baba Saheb.
The credit for binding the country in the thread of unity goes to Baba Saheb.”CM Yogi further mentioned that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar worked tirelessly to draft the Constitution, but he was agitated when the Congress began making repeated amendments to it. Despite Congress trying to stop him from entering the Constituent Assembly, Baba Saheb’s popularity and commitment to the nation ensured he became a member. He was later made chairman of the Drafting Committee, though even that appointment was opposed by some, including Pandit Nehru.
“There were conspiracies to stop him, but through his intelligence and hard work, he gave India a Constitution that made us the world’s largest democracy,” the Chief Minister stated.He highlighted that Dr. Ambedkar’s contribution ensured SC/ST students received full scholarships, reservations in jobs, and social dignity through inclusion in the mainstream. “This is the gift of Baba Saheb.”CM Yogi accused Congress and Samajwadi Party of creating division and unrest in society. He pointed out that in 1952, Congress prevented Dr. Ambedkar from winning elections and even awarded the opponent who defeated him with a Padma honor. In 1954, Congress fielded his own personal assistant against him in a by-election, which led to his defeat again. He only entered Parliament when a Hindu Mahasabha MP vacated the Pune seat.According to the Chief Minister, Congress was afraid of Dr. Ambedkar’s dedication, wisdom, and his strong support for SC/STs and national unity. “RahuI Gandhi now carries a copy of the Constitution, but it’s ironic because these are the same people who disrespected Dr. Ambedkar in the past,” he said.
He also recalled how Congress withdrew support from then-PM Chandrashekhar when he tried to name a government building after Dr. Ambedkar. It was former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee who completed the work, and PM Modi who built the memorial in his honor.The CM added that Baba Saheb achieved in 65 years what others couldn’t in centuries. He criticized the Congress for never building a single memorial for him despite being in power during multiple terms—1947, 1956, 1962, 1967, 1971, 1980, 1985, 1991, 2004, and 2009. In contrast, the BJP created five significant memorials (Panchteerth) dedicated to Dr. Ambedkar. “26th November is celebrated as Constitution Day since 2015,” he added.
The CM said that while many may raise popular slogans in Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s name, only the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) truly follows his values and ideals. He recalled that Baba Saheb had urged his followers to “get educated, stay united, and resist injustice.”The Chief Minister cited an example from history when Dr. Ambedkar wrote letters to Hindus and Scheduled Caste communities during the atrocities committed by the Nizam of Hyderabad. In his letters, Baba Saheb advised people not to convert to Islam under pressure and instead move to Maharashtra if needed, but never bow to the Nizam. “When villages were being burnt down by the Nizam and his Razakars, Baba Saheb stood with the people,” Yogi said, adding that it was Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who ultimately freed Hyderabad and restored citizens’ dignity.Speaking about his own experience, the CM shared that during his time as an MP, he visited Kushinagar after hearing reports of starvation deaths among the Musahar community.
“At that time, the SP was in power in Uttar Pradesh. I found that the ration cards meant for Musahars were held by SP officials, and they were taking the rations in the names of the poor while the actual families starved,” he said.He added that today, under the BJP-led double-engine government, every Musahar, Tharu, Vantangiya, Chero, and Kol family in the state has land, a home, a ration card, and an Ayushman Bharat health card. He said the state is moving steadily toward the goal of zero poverty and that efforts are being made to saturate welfare schemes so that no eligible person is left out. He also mentioned the PM Swamitva Yojana, under which over one crore people in Uttar Pradesh have already been allotted land ownership documents.
He said, “Before 2017 in UP and before 2014 in other states, ration never reached the poor because those in power lacked the will to serve.” He added that encephalitis deaths, which mostly affected SC, ST, and minority children, went unchecked under past governments. “While I stood alone with the BJP in fighting this crisis, SP and Congress never stood with the people in their pain,” he said, adding that encephalitis is no longer a threat thanks to the collective efforts under BJP rule. Yogi recalled how in 2012, soon after coming to power, the then SP government announced plans to demolish memorials built in Lucknow in the names of icons like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Jyotiba Phule, Savitribai Phule, and Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj.
“We opposed it and said — if you try to break them, we’ll resist, because these great personalities led the movement for social justice and gave voice to the voiceless.”He accused SP of deliberately erasing Ambedkar’s legacy, saying they removed his name from the Kannauj Medical College and renamed a proposed university in Lucknow from Kanshi Ram to one focused on Urdu, Persian, and Arabic. “Our government restored these names because we honor these leaders not for votes, but for their values,” he said.The Chief Minister said that SP got four chances to rule the state but failed to provide basic rights to the poor, including homes, land, health cards, ration, and support for daughters’ marriages.
“In 2015-16, they even stopped scholarships meant for Scheduled Caste students,” he added. “They only developed their families, while our mantra is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.’”Taking a swipe at the opposition alliance, CM Yogi said, “Parties in the I.N.D.I alliance tried to mislead people during the Lok Sabha elections, but it was Prime Minister Modi who placed the original copy of the Constitution on his head while entering the new Parliament — a true mark of respect.”He accused the SP and Congress of trying to incite caste-based conflict.
“One SP MLA insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji and praised Aurangzeb. Their MP insulted Rana Sanga and glorified Babur, who demolished Ram Janmabhoomi,” he said. “Their leaders even belittled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel while praising Jinnah — the man responsible for the violence against Hindus in Pakistan and Dalits in Bangladesh.”CM Yogi concluded with a strong appeal to society: “Let us not divide ourselves on caste lines. Instead, join the mission for ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’,”The event was also attended by MP Ravi Kishan, Mayor Dr. Manglesh Srivastava, BJP state vice president Dr. Dharmendra Singh, MLA Vipin Singh, BJP city president Devesh Srivastava, and former university vice chancellor Prof. Chandrashekhar.
