KTR tears into Congress for failing Ambedkar and turning him into mere slogan

KT Rama Rao criticized the Congress government for failing to uphold B. R. Ambedkar’s ideals, accusing it of neglecting welfare schemes and social justice commitments, while highlighting BRS initiatives and Telangana statehood achievements during Ambedkar Jayanti events

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao mounted a blistering attack on the Congress for failing Dr BR Ambedkar in both spirit and action, while turning him into a mere slogan for political gain.

Addressing party leaders and cadres at Telangana Bhavan during the birth anniversary celebrations of Dr BR Ambedkar on Tuesday, Rama Rao accused the Congress of historically sidelining Ambedkar, citing instances where the party obstructed his political rise and reforms. He said even today, the Congress government in Telangana continued that legacy by failing to implement welfare schemes promised in Ambedkar’s name.

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He credited BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao with translating Ambedkar’s vision into governance through schemes like Dalit Bandhu and providing Rs 10 lakh financial assistance to turn beneficiaries into entrepreneurs. He said the Congress promised to enhance it to Rs 12 lakh in the name of “Ambedkar Abhayahastam”, but quietly shelved it after coming to power.

The BRS working president said the Congress party’s SC-ST Declaration remained only on paper with key commitments including enhanced reservations, financial incentives to students from marginalised sections, and allocation of 72 per cent of government contracts to BC, SC and ST communities, not delivered over last two-and-a-half years. He accusing the government of reducing social justice to a manifesto footnote.

Rama Rao trained his guns on the collapse of welfare infrastructure with the government residential schools established during the BRS regime now suffering due to negligence of the Congress government.

He also accused the present government of discontinuing overseas scholarship support, affecting students from marginalised sections. “A government that cannot sustain opportunity has no right to preach equality,” he said.

He came down heavily on the Congress government for restricting public access to the 125-foot Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad out of political vendetta. He said such actions amounted to disrespecting both Ambedkar’s legacy and the communities he championed.

“Only after the BRSV issued an ultimatum that if the government failed to reopen Ambedkar memorial, the students will break open the gates that the government came to senses and held Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations after two years,” he said.

The former Minister reminded that the BRS also named the State Secretariat after Ambedkar. He said Ambedkar’s philosophy of “Educate, Agitate, Organise” inspired K Chandrashekhar Rao to lead the Telangana movement.

He stressed that Article 3 of the Constitution, framed by Ambedkar, was the legal foundation that made Telangana statehood possible.

Calling for a renewed fight, Rama Rao urged the BRS cadres to take the message to grassroots levels and expose the Congress party’s betrayal of all sections of the society. He announced plans for a series of outreach programmes focusing on social justice issues in the coming months after the party’s Foundation Day celebrations on April 27.

Meanwhile, the BRS working president visited Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial at Necklace Road and paid tributes to the architect of the Constitution. He was accompanied by the Opposition leader in the Council S Madhusudhanachary, former Ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Gangula Kamalakar, Koppula Eshwar, V Srinivas Goud, MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, BRS leaders RS Praveen Kumar and others.