BJP slams Kejri government for ‘betraying’ Ambedkar’s vision
The Delhi BJP on Monday launched a scathing attack on former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his government, accusing it of betraying the legacy of Dr BR Ambedkar by failing to implement key schemes meant for the uplift of Dalits and economically weaker communities.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that Kejriwal reduced Babasaheb’s contribution to mere symbolism by installing his portraits in government offices while ignoring his vision for social and educational empowerment.
“If there is any government in Delhi in the past 78 years guilty of betraying Babasaheb’s dreams, it is the Arvind Kejriwal government,” said Sachdeva.
He accused the previous AAP-led government of politically exploiting Dalits and other oppressed sections by showing them “grand dreams” but delivering little on the ground.
“The Kejriwal government limited uplift of Dalit to hoardings and photos of Babasaheb. Between 2020 and 2024, a sum of Rs 260 crore was allocated for Dalit colonies, but only Rs 121 crore was spent. The government used nearly same amount to build a palace for the Chief Minister and furnish ministers’ offices,” he said.
Sachdeva pointed out that despite announcing three major educational schemes in Dr Ambedkar’s name, the Kejriwal government spent less than 5 per cent of the allocated Rs 891 crore. According to the BJP, a sum of Rs 180 crore was allocated under the Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana for Scheduled Caste students, but only Rs 4.4 crore was spent. Similarly, a parallel version of the same scheme for minorities, OBCs and EWS students received Rs 250 crore in allocation, but saw just Rs 4.2 crore in actual expenditure. A third scheme, Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Pratibha Yojana, got Rs 461 crore, but only Rs 32.2 crore was utilised.
“Today on Babasaheb’s birth anniversary, Arvind Kejriwal should come forward and answer why only Rs 40.80 crore was actually spent out of the Rs 891 crore meant for the educational uplift of Dalits and other marginalised groups,” Sachdeva demanded.
BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor criticised AAP’s Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj for dragging Dalits into “petty politics” over the installation of Ambedkar’s image in government offices. “Even on the 134th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, instead of apologising for his party’s deception, Bharadwaj tried to mislead the Dalit community with symbolic gestures,” Kapoor said.
JP Nadda, Rekha Gupta pay floral tributes
BJP National President JP Nadda, along with Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and several senior party leaders, paid floral tributes to Bharat Ratna Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Ambedkar Memorial on Alipur Road on Monday. The event witnessed the presence of Union Ministers Virendra Kumar and BL Verma, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, MP Yogendra Chandolia and other prominent leaders. Speaking on the occasion, Nadda described Baba Saheb as an eternal symbol of social harmony, human rights and unity. The Delhi BJP organised events across all 256 mandals in the Capital. MP Bansuri Swaraj paid tributes to Babasaheb at Ambedkar Park in Rajendra Nagar and flagged off two free medical mobile vans for residents of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency.
Delhi