Fadnavis pays tributes to Ambekdar; hails Constitution

The Constitution framed under the chairmanship of Dr B R Ambekdar is a powerful document which has the capacity to make India the greatest country in the world, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Thursday.

Fadnavis said his government is committed to establishment of egalitarian society as envisaged by the Dalit icon.

The CM was speaking to reporters after paying tributes to the chief Constitution maker at his memorial Chaityabhoomi here on the occasion of his 62nd death anniversary.

Fadnavis was accompanied by Governor Vidyasagar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues during his visit to Chaityabhoomi, where Ambekdar was cremated, at Dadar in Central Mumbai.

"I salute the great visionary Babasaheb Ambedkar whose Constitution is so powerful that it has potential to make our country the greatest in the world.

"We are following the same Constitution. Our government is committed to establishment of egalitarian society that Babasaheb dreamt of where the last man standing in the society is equally resourceful and powerful," he said.

On the occasion, Fadnavis distributed various aids to visually impaired students and also visited stalls set up near Chaityabhoomi, which is thronged by lakhs of people ever year on December 6, which is observed as 'Mahaparinirvan Diwas'.

Fadnavis also released a special issue of 'Lokrajya', a magazine published by the state government. He later visited a photo exhibition at the memorial with Cabinet colleagues Dilip Kamble and Deepak Kesarkar.

Earlier in the day, a group of Dalit activists assembled outside the Dadar railway station and reiterated their demand to name the station after the Bharat Ratna awardee.

"A few members of Dalit organisations, including women, were seen holding banners demanding the name change. They reiterated their demand peacefully.

"They were also holding photos of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and raised slogans before leaving the venue," a senior Central Railway official said.