Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), accusing them of undermining the legacies of national icons like Baba Sahab Ambedkar and promoting a “one-family” rule in India.
Rashtra Prerna Sthal inaugurated
He said this after inaugurating Rashtra Prerna Sthal on the 101st birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was MP from Lucknow. It will serve as a tribute to the life, ideals, and enduring legacy of one of India’s most revered statesmen, whose leadership left a profound impact on the nation’s democratic, political, and developmental journey.
“After independence, a tendency to connect all the good work that took place in India to the same family emerged. Whether it be books, government schemes, government institutions, streets, roads, or squares, it was all connected to the pride of one family,” PM Modi said.
‘Legacy of Ambedkar destroyed’
“BJP has also taken the country out of this old system bound to one family. Our government, serving Mother India, is giving respect to every child, to everyone’s contribution. Today, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s statue is on Kartavya Path in Delhi… No one can forget how Baba Sahab Ambedkar’s legacy was destroyed,” he added.
The Prime Minister, speaking about the Congress and SP’s role in diminishing Baba Sahab Ambedkar’s legacy, stated, “The royal family of Congress committed this sin in Delhi, and here in UP, the Samajwadi Party people also committed the same sin.”
BJP preserves Ambedkar’s legacy
PM Modi went on to point out how the BJP has upheld Ambedkar’s legacy, by saying, “But the BJP did not let Baba Saheb’s legacy be destroyed. Today, from Delhi to London, Baba Sahab Ambedkar’s Panch Teerth is celebrating his legacy.”
Baba Ambedkar’s Panch Tirth (five pilgrimage sites) are five significant locations marking key phases of his life, developed by the Indian government to honor his legacy: ‘Janmabhoomi’ his birthplace in Mhow (Madhya Pradesh), ‘Shiksha Bhoomi’ his place of study in London, ‘Deeksha Bhoomi’ in Nagpur (where he embraced Buddhism), the Mahaparinirvan Sthal in Delhi (place of demise), and his cremation site, Chaitya Bhoomi in Mumbai.
Rashtra Prerna Sthal transformed
During his speech, PM Modi also highlighted the transformation of Rashtra Prerna Sthal, which had been a garbage dump covering 30 acres for several decades. The complex features 65-feet-high bronze statues of Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, symbolising their seminal contributions to India’s political thought, nation-building, and public life.
PM Modi applauds Prerna Sthal workers
“The land on which this Prerna Sthal has been built had, for several decades, accumulated heaps of garbage over more than 30 acres. Over the past three years, this has been completely cleared. I also extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the labourers, artisans, planners associated with this project, and to CM Yogi ji and his entire team,” PM Modi said.
He also credited Syama Prasad Mookerjee with rejecting the system of two Constitutions and two flags in Jammu and Kashmir.
“It was Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee who rejected the system of two Constitutions, two flags, and two heads of state in India. Even after independence, this system in Jammu and Kashmir was a major challenge to India’s integrity. The BJP is proud that our government got the opportunity to dismantle the wall of Article 370,” he said.
