Sonia Gandhi pays tribute to Ambedkar

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday greeted citizens on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, main architect of the Indian Constitution.

She said that one of the greatest icons of modern India, Ambedkar's contribution spread across every field of national development.

"His faith in democracy, which he shared with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel and other stalwarts of the freedom movement, is one of his proud legacies to our country," she said, according to a statement.

As Ambedkar said in the "last session of the constituent assembly, our Constitution has given us not just a political democracy, but also a social democracy, guaranteeing equality of all and empowerment of the weak and the marginalized."

Born on April 14, 1891 to Bhimabai Sakpal and Ramji in Madhya Pradesh, Ambedkar died on December 6, 1956.

Gandhi said that the Indian Constitution, drafted by Ambedkar, is a unique affirmation of fundamental human rights and guarantees social empowerment through constitutional means.

"India's unique experiment of social and economic transformation through peaceful and democratic means holds lessons for all societies in transition and for all nations divided by social and economic disparities and discrimination," she said. "On this occasion, we pay our humble tribute to one of the greatest son of India and champion of social equality and democracy," she added.