The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee paid rich tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution Babasaheb Dr. Bheem Rao Ambedkar on his 125th birth anniversary on Thursday.
TPCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other senior leaders of the Telangana Congress paid floral tributes to Dr. Ambedkar's portrait at Gandhi Bhavan.
Speaking to the media persons later, Reddy said that Dr. Ambedkar was in favour of smaller States, and a separate Telangana had become a reality due to the Constitution drafted by him.
"Dr. Ambedkar provided so much flexibility in the Constitution that it empowered the people to make amendments as and when needed. The Congress followed the Constitutional route created by Dr. Ambedkar to carve out Telangana by passing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill in Parliament," he said.
However, Uttam Kumar Reddy expressed regret that the dalits had failed to receive the benefits and justice they were entitled to in the new State. He said that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi had cheated the dalits by promising to make a dalit the first Chief Minister of Telangana. "TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao became the Chief Minister by openly cheating the dalit community and the entire State. Further, KCR adopted anti-dalit policies by subjecting them to humiliation, torture and injustice," he alleged.
Reacting on the foundation stone laid by KCR for the construction of a 125-feet statue of Dr. Ambedkar, Reddy said that the Congress wholeheartedly welcomed any memorial for Dr. Ambedkar. However, he said that the TRS government should give a commitment that the memorial would be ready within the promised time of one year.
"KCR had laid a foundation stone for the construction of a Babu Jagjeevan Ram Bhavan on December 12, 2014, and the proposal has hit a roadblock due to legal complications on the proposed site. The same should not recur with Dr. Ambedkar's statue," he said.
The TPCC chief said that the real tribute to Dr. Ambedkar would be equal opportunities for dalits in the State. He slammed the TRS government for not fulfilling the promise of spending Rs. 50,000 crores on their welfare, providing three acres of land to each dalit family and effective implementation of the SC Sub-Plan. He also alleged that KCR had humiliated dalits on multiple occasions. He sacked a dalit Deputy CM (Dr T Rajaiah) from his cabinet unceremoniously, failed to act on the gang-rape of a dalit girl, and adopted a questionable silence on the suicide of dalit research scholar Rohith Vemula. He even failed to ensure the dismissal or transfer of Hyderabad Central University's Vice-Chancellor Appa Rao despite giving an assurance in Assembly that he would get this done by speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi within two-three days.
"KCR is now trying to act innocent and hopes to cover up his sins by laying the foundation stone for a 125-feet statue of Dr. Ambedkar. His sins against dalits are taller than the proposed statue," he said.
Later, Reddy distributed books among poor dalit students at a program held in Pardhiwada of Purana Pul. He, along with other senior Congress leaders, also had lunch with the dalit families. GHCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail, Telangana Youth Congress president Anil Kumar Yadav, GHCC General Secretary Syed Nizamuddin, ex-Corporator Mohammed Ghouse and other leaders were also present.