Bhopal, Jan 17 (IANS): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Vishvas Sarang on Friday accused the Congress of using Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's name for its "survival" in politics.
Sarang, who is the Sports and Youth Welfare Minister in Chief Minister Mohan Yadav-led Cabinet, said history reveals that the Congress has shown respect neither towards Dr. Ambedkar nor the Constitution framed under his leadership.
"Jawaharlal Nehru even tried to stop Dr. Ambedkar's entry into the Parliamentary and for that, he conspired to defeat him in the general elections. Nehru insulted Dr. Ambedkar in the Parliament House and all these facts are available on public domain," Sarang said.
Speaking to IANS on Congress' mega programme in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow, the birthplace of Dr. Ambedkar, Sarang said that Rahul Gandhi should apologise to the people of the country for insulting Dr. Ambedkar.
"If he (Rahul Gandhi) regrets wrongdoings of his forefathers, then it would the real respect for Dr. Ambedkar. He should apologise for mistakes done by Nehru (Jawaharlal) and Indira Gandhi during his visit to Mhow," Sarang added.
Notably, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha along with AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to visit Mhow to launch Congress' mega campaign 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' on January 27.
Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and all Congress Working Committee (CWC) members, former and sitting Chief Ministers, and senior leaders from across the country will join the campaign in Mhow.
This campaign marks the Congress' first major political event in Madhya Pradesh since its crushing defeat in the 2023 Assembly elections.
The loss led to a change in state leadership as veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath was replaced with Jitu Patwari as the new state unit chief.
To counter Congress' Mhow's event, the BJP has also announced its own initiative, ‘Samvidhan Gaurav Diwas', with events planned across the state.
Several senior BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Health and Family Welfare Minister J.P. Nadda (also the BJP national president), and Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, are scheduled to visit Madhya Pradesh for this campaign.
As per party sources, Amit Shah will address a public rally in Bhopal while Nitin Gadkari will participate at events in Indore.
Similarly, J.P. Nadda will attend a rally in Jabalpur and Vinod Tawde, BJP national general secretary, will preside over a program in Rewa.