Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 28 (IANS) Facing criticism from Dalit groups for not having representation from backward and minority classes, Team Anna Sunday remembered B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of Indian constitution, and said they respect the statute.

Activist Anna Hazare broke his 13-day-long fast after drinking a mixture of coconut water and honey offered to him by a Dalit and a Muslim girl.

“The condition of farmers is bad. We have to give them justice. Ambedkar put all this in the constitution but it not being implemented in the parliament,” Hazare told the cheering crowds at Ramlila Maidan.

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal turned down allegations that their movement was against the constitution. “Some Dalits have said that we are against constitution. I want to tell that we respect the constitution and Ambedkar-ji,” he said.

“If Ambedkar was alive, even he would have liked to change the constitution seeing people eating fodder and tax payers money being stashed in Swiss bank,” he said.

Members of the backward communities have criticised the movement, saying it does not have representations from all sections of the society and have called for ‘Bahujan Lokpal Bill’.

Kejriwal said that according to constitution, people were above parliament.

“Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar wrote the constitution of India and it says we the people of India give this constitution… this means India and its people were first and then came the constitution which gave birth to parliament and then parliamentarians,” he said.

“People made parliament, so people are above parliament. Till now all the laws made by parliament did not have involvement of people and it is for the first time after independence that parliament has agreed to make law according to people,” he said.

Kejriwal said that this should continue and people should have a say in laws made in the future.