Synopsis
On February 2, Congress leaders, led by Udit Raj, protested outside Arvind Kejriwal's residence, demanding an apology for the vandalism of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s statue in Punjab. The protest aimed to hold AAP accountable for the disrespect shown to the revered leader.Key Takeaways
- Congress leaders protested for an apology.
- Incident involved vandalism of a statue.
- About 50 'Ambedkarites' participated.
- Udit Raj criticized political exploitation of Ambedkar’s image.
- Vandalism occurred on January 26 in Amritsar.
New Delhi, Feb 2 (NationPress) Congress leaders, headed by the party's prominent figure Udit Raj, organized a demonstration outside the residence of AAP national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, demanding an apology regarding the recent vandalism of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s statue in AAP-governed Punjab.
The demonstrators assembled to express their grievances about the incident, urging the AAP to take accountability and provide a formal apology for the disrespect shown to B. R. Ambedkar.
About 50 'Ambedkarites' from Delhi joined Udit Raj in presenting a statue of Dr. Ambedkar to Kejriwal at his residence.
During the protest, Raj voiced his strong dissatisfaction with how the situation was handled, stating, “We demand that the insult to Dr Ambedkar, which took place in Amritsar under the AAP government, be recognized. They must apologize for the vandalism of the statue. If they genuinely respect Dr. Ambedkar, they should cease exploiting his image for political gain, as they have in the past.”
Raj further highlighted the hypocrisy of political leaders who utilize Dr. Ambedkar's image for votes but fail to genuinely honor his principles.
“They only seek votes in the name of Baba Saheb,” he remarked, urging Kejriwal to “learn how to respect Baba Saheb.”
“Merely displaying his picture is no longer sufficient; this is a betrayal of his legacy,” he told IANS.
“The intent was to pay tribute to Dr. Ambedkar and present a statue in his honor, following the insult of his statue in Amritsar. We also demand that Kejriwal cease using Dr. Ambedkar’s image as a political tool. It is widely known that Kejriwal does not value Ambedkar's ideas,” stated Udit Raj.
The vandalism of Dr BR Ambedkar’s statue, located outside Town Hall on Heritage Street in Amritsar, occurred on January 26.
The perpetrator climbed atop the statue using a ladder intended for political leaders to pay floral tributes on Republic Day. According to a video clip, the accused allegedly attempted to damage the Ambedkar statue at the Town Hall on Heritage Street. In the footage, the individual is seen striking the statue multiple times with a hammer.
