PM Targets Congress, Mayawati Attacks PM As Parties Fight Over Ambedkar Legacy

Mhow, Madhya Pradesh: It was BR Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary on Thursday and everyone wanted to claim the Dalit icon's legacy, eye firmly fixed on elections in five states now and the mega battle for Uttar Pradesh early next year.

At a rally in Dr Ambedkar's hometown Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the Congress of "undermining" his legacy and said it was he who was working to fulfill his vision, listing measures and policies that his government has launched to empower the poor and weaker sections of society.

"Those engaged in vote bank politics thought of nothing else in 60 years than dividing society ... They have been calling themselves the messiah of the poor for the last six decades, but have done nothing for them," the Prime Minister said attacking the Congress and asking why it had not built a memorial for Dr Ambedkar at his Delhi home the way his government was.

"Some persons are distressed why Modi is doing all this...I feel proud to work at the feet of Baba Saheb," the Prime Minister said, also crediting Dr Amebdkar for "the son of a woman who worked in the homes of others being able to become Prime Minister".

Not long before PM Modi spoke in Mhow, the Bahujan Samaj Party's Mayawati attacked him in Lucknow, where she celebrated Dr Ambedkar's birth anniversary at a massive rally. Mayawati, whose party counts on Dalit and other backward caste or OBC votes for major support, alleged, "Narendra Modi who does not tire of saying that he is an OBC... leave alone doing anything for people of his caste, he has not done anything for tea sellers."

Mayawati also accused the Congress' Rahul Gandhi of doing nothing for Dalit when his party was in power.

Dalit and OBCs are a big chunk of voters in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu where elections are being held and also in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh which will vote next year.

Mayawati wants to wrest Uttar Pradesh back from the Samajwadi Party.

The BJP has made no bones about eyeing the substantial Dalit vote in Uttar Pradesh- the PM recently launched a Stand Up India scheme from the state flanked by 16 of his party's Dalit lawmakers from the state. Days later it appointed backward caste leader Keshav Prasad Maurya its Uttar Pradesh chief.