'Congress ensured defeat of Ambedkar', BJP leader slams K'taka minister over Savarkar claims

Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa, who is also a close confidante of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had claimed that Veer Savarkar had conspired to defeat Ambedkar in the election.

The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, said on Sunday, "It was the Congress party that fielded a candidate against Babasaheb Ambedkar. It was the Congress that crafted every possible strategy to ensure Ambedkar's defeat. It was also the Congress that provided resources to Narayan Sadoba Kajrolkar in order to defeat Ambedkar. And ironically, it was the same Congress party that later gave him the Padma Bhushan as a reward for his defeat."

"After orchestrating so many conspiracies to defeat Babasaheb and denying him the Bharat Ratna, for the Congress to now claim that Veer Savarkar was behind Ambedkar's electoral loss is the height of shamelessness," Ashoka chided.

"Nowhere in Ambedkar's comprehensive biographies -- not even in the book published in 1974 by the Maharashtra Congress, nor in the volumes published by the Karnataka Congress -- is there any mention of Veer Savarkar being linked to this matter," Ashoka pointed out.

"The deep-seated resentment the Congress held toward Ambedkar and their repeated efforts to suppress and sideline him are clearly documented in history," he noted.

"Even senior leaders from your own party, including the close associate of CM Siddaramaiah and former Speaker Ramesh Kumar, have spoken about the injustice done to Ambedkar by the Congress -- in the Assembly itself. True followers of Ambedkar will never support the Congress party," Ashoka said.

Earlier, Minister Mahadevappa, who hails from the oppressed class, while targeting LoP Ashoka, stated, "Babasaheb Ambedkar's lifelong struggle was against people with a mindset like yours - rooted in Manuvaad - and against the very principles of that ideology. In such a context, when you continue to follow the path of Manuvaad instead of embracing the path of the Constitution and yet try to spread false propaganda against the Congress, it only makes me smile because it reflects a lack of awareness on your part," Minister Mahadevappa stated.

"Babasaheb himself said that Savarkar was the reason for his electoral defeat. So instead of peddling false history, it would be enough if you simply believed the truth spoken by Babasaheb," the Minister said.

In 1952, Dr Ambedkar lost to his former personal assistant and Congress candidate Narayan Sadoba Kajrolkar in Bombay (North). And then again in the 1954 by-election in Bhandara, he was defeated by the Congress nominee, Bhaurao Borkar.