The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership is livid with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts chief Ram Bahadur Rai. The former journalist, who was also the general secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad - affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) - has termed the role of B R Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution a myth.
His comments come at a time when the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are less than a year away. BJP President Amit Shah and others have been touring the state to reach out to its significant Dalit population, most of whom are known to vote for the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The fear is that Rai's comments would give BSP chief Mayawati ammunition to paint the BJP and the RSS as anti-Dalit, thus denting the saffron party's poll prospects in the state. The party is keen to avoid a repeat of 2015, for instance, when its poor showing in the Bihar Assembly polls was ascribed by some political pundits to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments calling for a review of caste-based quotas.
His comments come at a time when the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls are less than a year away. BJP President Amit Shah and others have been touring the state to reach out to its significant Dalit population, most of whom are known to vote for the Bahujan Samaj Party.
The fear is that Rai's comments would give BSP chief Mayawati ammunition to paint the BJP and the RSS as anti-Dalit, thus denting the saffron party's poll prospects in the state. The party is keen to avoid a repeat of 2015, for instance, when its poor showing in the Bihar Assembly polls was ascribed by some political pundits to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments calling for a review of caste-based quotas.
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