Tripura CM Manik Saha says Congress has always been anti-Ambedkar, calls its protests farce

Saha said that after resigning as a Union minister, Ambedkar was never allowed to speak in Parliament and that he severely criticised former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in his resignation letter, which he alleged was suppressed.

“The BJP will unveil the dark history of the Congress in the future. The Congress never made any memorial to Dr Ambedkar. But Narendra Modi, after becoming prime minister, made a memorial to him. We seek an apology from the Congress for their attitude towards Ambedkar,” Saha said.

The Congress has held a series of protest rallies in the state demanding Shah’s resignation and an apology for the remarks he made during the ongoing winter session of the Rajya Sabha.

“Abhi ek fashion ho gaya hai — Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… Itna naam agar Bhagwan ka lete toh saat janmon tak swarg mil jata (There is a fashion these days — Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar, Ambedkar… Had you chanted the name of God these many times, you would have been blessed with heaven in seven births),” Shah had said in response to a two-day debate titled the Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India.

He added, “We are happy that Ambedkar’s name is being taken”, before listing the Congress’s “injustices” towards the principal framer of the Constitution.

Good Governance Day

Speaking on the occasion of Good Governance Day at Pragna Bhawan later, Saha said good governance means ensuring that government-sponsored welfare schemes reach the last person even in the remote areas of the country. He added that the state administration is being made pro-people to ensure the smooth delivery of government benefits.

The BJP has been observing the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Good Governance Day. “He (Vajpayee) was a politician, poet and litterateur. His role in India’s freedom movement was noteworthy. His dream was to uproot corruption from the country. With this aim, he took several initiatives to establish good governance,” Saha said.

“The central and state governments are introducing different schemes to address the fundamental needs of the people. The good governance programme was undertaken to ensure these schemes reach the genuine beneficiaries. The Northeast is walking on the path of development due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The development of the state is being praised in other states, and this has become possible due to good governance,” the chief minister said.

Saha further said that since coming to power in 2014, Modi has been working for the people with dedication. “Both the Centre and state governments are working with purity, using the thoughts of former Prime Minister Vajpayee,” he said.