Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 15 (IANS) Leaders from various political parties, including the Congress, Friday threatened to march to parliament April 30 if the government does not fulfill their demand for building a suitable memorial at the place where B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of India’s constitution, breathed his last.
Meeting under the banner of “Dr Amedkar Parinirvan Bhoomi Samman Karyakram Samiti”, the leaders said the place in Delhi where Ambedkar died should be given the same status as Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.

Former union minister Ramvilas Paswan, who is a senior member of the committee, said they had met Social Justice Minister Mukul Wasnik in November and also given a representation to President Pratibha Patil in December, but the government has not acted on their demand yet.

He said they would seek an appointment with the Prime Minister. “If our demands are not met, we will organise a march to parliament April 30,” Paswan said, noting that memorials to Mahatma Gandhi and other national leaders were maintained properly but the place of Ambedkar’s demise in the capital was lying in a state of neglect.

Ambedkar, suffering from diabetes from 1948 and failing eyesight, died Dec 6, 1956, barely three days after he completed his manuscript “The Buddha and His Dhamma”, at his place 26 Alipur Road in the Civil Lines area.

Demanding immediate start of work at the place, he said it should be developed as a tourist spot with a museum containing memorabilia connected with Ambedkar.

Those who attended the meeting included Congress MP Jesudasu Seelam and party leader H. Hanumanthappa, Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former Lok Sabha deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, Indian Justice Party leader Udit Raj and Republican Party leader Ramdas Athawale. Representatives from the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Samajwadi Party were also present.