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Nandhan Moment: Dr. Ambedkar’s Photo On Ground As Rahul Gandhi Sits In Chair For Photo

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Nandhan Moment: Dr. Ambedkar's Photo On Ground As Rahul Gandhi Sits In Chair For Photo

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and scion of the Congress party, faced intense backlash on social media from netizens for allegedly disrespecting BR Ambedkar, the father of the Constitution. Criticism erupted after a photo emerged of him posing for a photo with Ambedkar’s picture placed on the floor during a recent meeting with representatives of the Valmiki community at his mother’s residence in Janpath.

The criticism directed at Rahul Gandhi arises in the context of his recent visit surrounding Valmiki Jayanti on 17 October 2024. On this occasion, he visited the Valmiki Temple on Mandir Marg to offer prayers and later met with the representatives of the Valmiki community at his mother Sonia Gandhi’s residence.

During a meeting with delegations, members brought souvenirs and gifts to Rahul Gandhi and took photos with him. These images were shared by Gandhi and the Congress on their respective social media platforms. However, one picture drew significant backlash: it showed a photo of Dr B.R. Ambedkar carelessly placed on the ground among the attendees. This caused considerable outrage, as many felt it disrespected Ambedkar’s legacy.

Netizens criticized Gandhi, pointing out the contradiction between his praise for Ambedkar and the perceived disrespect in the photo. The incident went viral, with many expressing their disappointment over what they saw as hypocrisy while honoring Maharishi Valmiki, a respected figure among Dalit communities and the author of the Ramayana, they felt it was wrong to disregard Ambedkar in the same setting.

Rahul Gandhi also shared his experiences on the social media platform X, stating, “Best wishes to all of you on the birth anniversary of the creator of the epic Ramayana, Adi Kavi Maharishi Valmiki ji. This morning, on this auspicious occasion, I visited the Valmiki temple in Delhi. Mahatma Gandhi had spent a lot of time with the Valmiki community in this complex – I stayed for some time at Bapu Niwas and gained inspiration. Salute to the great ascetic Maharishi Valmiki ji who showed humanity the path of truth, justice and harmony with love and compassion.”

Netizens Criticism

A netizen demanded an apology, stating, “Babasaheb Ambedkar means our respected father just one request to every political party and their leaders to respect our gods and respect our feelings… such disrespect by foolish people for their gains… we condemn this act and an apology by @INCIndia @RahulGandhi  is required have the Audacity to come on stop such acts… shall challenge till he gives our an apology and bows down to Babasaheb won’t let him enter Maharashtra!!! Yeh Shivsena ka challenge hai… yaad rakhna…”

Another netizen criticized, stating, “Ambedkar kept near feet on ground Rahul Gandhi on chair This explains the hate of Gandhi family and congress for dalits and Ambedkar Who can forget Ambedkar was humiliated and sidelined by Nehru and thus he resigned from Nehru cabinet and left Congress. While Nehru and Indira gave Bharat Ratna to themselves and Rajiv Gandhi too was given Bharat Ratna immediately after his death, but it took 40 years for Ambedkar and Sardar Patel to get Bharat Ratna, that too when there was a non-Congress govt at center.”

Another netizen noted, “Ambedkar ji on Ground Rahul Gandhi on Chair.”

Another netizen stated, “The Respect Rahul Gandhi has for Baba Saheb Ambedkar can be seen in this photo! Rahul and Congress has insulted Every Dalit of India! It was not a coincidence that Mr Jawaharlal Nehru worked over time to defeat Baba Saheb in his first election, & Congress never gave him Bharat Ratna.”

Congress Party’s Historical Disregard For Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

The Congress party has long exhibited an anti-Ambedkar sentiment, dating back to the era of Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru’s Congress treated Dr. B.R. Ambedkar with contempt, actively working to ensure his defeat in the 1952 parliamentary elections in North Bombay and the 1954 by-election in Bhandara. Notably, it was only in 1990, under the National Front government supported by the BJP, that Dr. Ambedkar’s portrait was finally placed in the Central Hall of Parliament. For decades, the Congress also denied him the Bharat Ratna, which was conferred on him only by the National Front government in 1990.

Recently, Rahul Gandhi’s mentor, Sam Pitroda, insulted Dr. Ambedkar by endorsing a tweet that outrageously claimed that the greatest falsification of modern history was the idea that Ambedkar was the father of the Indian Constitution.

The Congress party’s approach to Ambedkar’s legacy is a notable aspect of its political strategy. There are several factors contributing to the shortcomings of Rahul Gandhi’s social justice efforts. While the party publicly supports a caste census and calls for greater representation for political gain, its actual practices tell a different story; Congress-led states have not demonstrated any commitment to these principles. Recently, during his visit to the USA, Rahul Gandhi suggested moving away from reservations in India, a remark that sparked considerable backlash, as it contradicts Ambedkar’s vision for upliftment and the protections enshrined in the Constitution.

In stark contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a heartfelt tribute to Ambedkar during his 125th birth anniversary, marking the first-ever celebration of Constitution Day. He introduced the term “Panchteerth,” committing to develop five significant locations related to Ambedkar’s life into pilgrimage sites and declared Samvidhan Diwas. In 2018, Modi granted constitutional status to the BC Commission, supported the election of India’s first tribal woman president, and led the passage of a constitutional amendment to ensure women’s reservations.

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