NCP wants Mumbai station named after Ambedkar
May 30th, 2011 - 5:00 pm ICT by IANS
Mumbai, May 30 (IANS) The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which is part of Maharashtra’s ruling Congress-led coalition, wants the city’s important Dadar railway junction to be renamed ‘Chaiya Bhoomi’ in memory of late Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar, a party official said here Monday.
The proposal is likely to be taken up as a resolution at the NCP’s convention on Rights of Backward Class People scheduled June 10 as part of the party’s 11th anniversary celebrations here, the official said.
Chaitya Bhoomi, barely two kilometers from Dadar railway station, is the place where Ambedkar was cremated Dec 6, 1956.
Later, converted into a national monument, lakhs of Dalits from all over the country converge to pay homage to Ambedkar, the architect of India’s constitution, on his death anniversary.
Reacting to the NCP’s plans, Republican Party of India (RPI) leader Ramdas Athawale said that his party had made this proposal long ago.
“They have no other issues for the Dalits in Mumbai. They did nothing nothing for the Dalits for the past 64 years, so now they talk of renaming Dadar station,” Athawale told reporters.
Shiv Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar said that the party would not oppose the move to rename Dadar as Chaitya Bhoomi if such a proposal comes up.
The NCP’s move is being viewed as an effort to counter the upcoming alliance of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Republican Party of India which was announced recently and will be formalized by October.
Shaken by the prospects of losing a large chunk of crucial Dalit votes during next year’s elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other major civic bodies, the NCP has now come up with the idea of renaming Dadar station.
However, on the record, top NCP leaders like Praful Patel have said that RPI joining the opposition combine would not affect its prospects in any manner.
In 1996-97, the then ruling Shiv Sena-BJP government had proposed renaming of Dadar station but did not send a formal proposal to the central government and the matter was left hanging.
- Land 'captured' for Ambedkar memorial in Mumbai - Dec 06, 2011
- Raj speaks up for estranged uncle Bal Thackeray - Jun 01, 2011
- Ajit Pawar attacks Bal Thackeray - May 31, 2011
- NCP wants Dadar station renamed Chaityabhoomi - Jun 10, 2011
- Name Mumbai station after Ambedkar, says Congress - Jul 07, 2011
- Pawar criticises RPI's alliance with BJP, Shiv Sena - Jun 10, 2011
- Thackeray hits back at Ajit Pawar for letting off 'gas' - Jun 01, 2011
- Ramdas Athawale's RPI prepares to sup with Shiv Sena, BJP - May 09, 2011
- Dalit party threat to recapture Indu Mills land - Mar 06, 2012
- Athawale's saffron shift suicidal: RLDF - May 13, 2011
- Maharashtra Congress ties up with Dalit party - Jan 29, 2012
- RPI demands land for Ambedkar memorial, blocks highway - Dec 15, 2011
- Peeved Dalit leader quits Maharashtra opposition alliance - Jan 05, 2012
- Ambedkar memorial: Dalit activists attempt to storm legislature - Mar 15, 2012
- Ambedkar Jayanti celebrated; Dalits stage sit-in (Lead) - Apr 14, 2012
Tags: 11th anniversary, anniversary celebrations, bhoomi, bjp government, brihanmumbai municipal corporation, chunk, civic bodies, dalits, death anniversary, homage, janata party, lakhs, national monument, nationalist congress party, praful patel, railway junction, railway station, ramdas, republican party, rpi leader