Mysuru, Oct. 19 (BLU&DM) – Alleging that Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Sangh Parivar had opposed Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that they continue to do so even today and called upon the people to be wary of them.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Silver Jubilee celebrations of University of Mysore’s (UoM) Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Research and Extension Centre and the new Jnanadarshana building in Manasagangothri campus here yesterday.

Describing Dr. Ambedkar as a great visionary who used his knowledge for the transformation of the society, Siddaramaiah maintained that Ambedkar acquired knowledge to understand the society and later devoted his entire life for using that knowledge to change the society.

Accusing the BJP and the Sangh Parivar of spreading a false propaganda in the name of Dr. Ambedkar, the CM said “They are spreading lies that it was the Congress that defeated Ambedkar in the Lok Sabha polls. However, the truth is that Ambedkar himself wrote in a book that he was defeated by V.D. Savarkar and S.A. Dange. While Savarkar was a Hindutva ideologue, Dange was a Communist leader.”

Emphasising on the need to bring out such truths before the society to expose the falsehoods being propagated by the Sangh Parivar, Siddaramaiah said he had established Dr. B.R. Ambedkar School of Economics in Bengaluru to facilitate students who study Ambedkar, to walk his path. Asserting that another personality like Ambedkar can never be born, he said, however, each of us must follow his ideals and walk his path in public life.

Continuing, the CM pointed out that Dr. Ambedkar studied and absorbed the essence of all the Constitutions of the world and gave India one of the greatest Constitutions that suited best to its society.

Referring to the recent incident in which a Supreme Court lawyer attempted to throw footwear at the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Siddaramaiah said this shows that casteist elites continue to exist in the society. “Throwing a shoe at the CJI should be condemned not only by dalits, but by all sections and everyone in the society. Only then, can we feel assured that the society is truly on the path of change”, he argued.

Stating that education is not anyone’s ancestral property, Siddaramaiah said what is needed today is equal opportunities for everyone. When opportunities are provided, people become scholars and thinkers, he contended, citing Dr. Ambedkar as an example.

Advising people to choose their company wisely, he appealed the people to be with those who stand for social justice and to dissociate with those who oppose social change and those who cling to Sanatan ideology.

UoM Registrar M.K. Savitha thanked CM Siddaramaiah for having sanctioned Rs.10 crore for establishment of Constitution Studies Chair and Rs. 7 crore for the production of a documentary on the footprints left behind by Dr. Ambedkar in Karnataka.

UoM Vice-Chancellor Prof. N.K. Lokanath in his address, said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Studies Centre which began on a small-scale has now grown big, for which CM Siddaramaiah and Social Welfare Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa have contributed a lot. The Centre stands committed for taking forward Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts at the global level, he added.

District Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa and Centre’s faculty member Dr. J. Somashekar too spoke. MLCs Dr. D. Thimmaiah and K. Shivakumar, late Union Minister V. Sreenivasaprasad’s wife D. Bhagyalakshmi and others were present.