NEW DELHI, April 14 – Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of offering only symbolic respect to B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution, while ignoring his core ideals and reforms.
Speaking on the occasion of Ambedkar’s 135th birth anniversary at the Parliament House complex in New Delhi, Kharge said the Modi government had failed to act on key issues such as caste census, reservation implementation, and social justice reforms, and instead engaged in “lip service.”
“The Modi government takes the name of Ambedkar but is not ready to fulfil his aspirations and wishes,” Kharge told reporters. He alleged that the BJP and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), were “enemies of Babasaheb then and even now.” The Congress president also criticised the Centre for not releasing data from the delayed 2021 census and demanded that a nationwide caste-based census be conducted to assess social and economic disparities among communities.
Kharge reiterated the Congress’s call for the implementation of Article 15(5), which enables reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in private educational institutions. He also demanded a Central law for the SC/ST sub-plan to ensure dedicated budget allocations, removal of the 50% cap on reservations, and the immediate implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill with provisions for SC, ST, and OBC women.
The Congress chief questioned the timing of official tribute events, suggesting they were rescheduled to accommodate Modi’s availability. While the Prime Minister paid floral tribute to Ambedkar’s statue on Parliament lawns, he did not attend a separate homage event inside the Central Hall, Kharge said.
He further claimed that Ambedkar faced consistent resistance from Hindu nationalist organisations during his lifetime, particularly when he converted to Buddhism. “When Babasaheb adopted Buddhism, they said now Buddha has become untouchable,” Kharge said.
The remarks came a day after Modi accused the Congress of disrespecting Ambedkar and undermining the Constitution for vote-bank politics. Kharge responded, “They keep attacking Nehru, me, and the Congress, but what have they done for Babasaheb’s ideals?”
