Cong for sacking of IGNCA chief Rai for 'insulting' Ambedkar

Senior Congress leader Eknath Gaikwad today demanded immediate ouster of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) chairman Ram Bahadur Rai for "insulting" dalit icon B R Ambedkar through his comments.
Accusing the Narendra Modi government of being "anti-dalit", the Congress also threatened to launch agitation across Maharashtra.
"In a recent media interview, the chairman of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, Ram Bahadur Rai has insulted Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said that Ambedkar merely corrected the language of the draft constitution that was prepared by other members of draft committee. He also went to an extent to say that the country needs a different Constitution," the former party MP said.

New Delhi-based IGNCA is a premier government-funded, autonomous arts organisation under the Union Ministry of Culture.
Gaikwad alleged the RSS and BJP were behind the incitations against dalits.
"This appears to be a well-thought plan of the RSS-BJP parivar where they had been raising such issues at repeated intervals. Few days back, RSS chief (Mohan) Bhagwat had spoken against reservation. When the BJP suffered in Bihar, he went back on his words," the dalit leader said.

Demanding immediate sacking of Rai, Gaikwad said the Congress will oppose any anti-reservation move.
Meanwhile, Ravindra Dalvi, head of the backward cell of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), said the party has decided to agitate at the all district collectorates.

He said the party workers today burnt the effigy of Rai at several places in Marathwada.