Andhra Pradesh: Dr. Ambedkar cannot be limited to a district, says Chinta

‘Naming a small district after him and then fighting over it is undesirable’

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is a phenomenon and he is an international figure, he cannot be limited to a district, said former Union Minister Chinta Mohan.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he took strong exception to the recent rioting and arson at Amalapuram in Konaseema district.

“I am not against Konaseema district being named after Dr. Ambedkar. But people and the State government should realise that Ambedkar is respected internationally and his principles and doctrines are practised across the globe. Naming a small district after him and then fighting over it is undesirable. By naming a small district after him, the authorities concerned are equating him with YSR Rajsekhara Reddy,” Mr. Mohan said.

Taking a dig at the ongoing bus yatra by the YSR Congress Party leaders, he said it was big farce in the name of propagating social justice.

If the YSR Congress Party is really keen on doing social justice, they should revive the scholarships for the 80 lakh odd students who are being deprived of the scholarship amount, he said. Depriving the young minds of scholarship amount is social injustice, he said.

He also criticised the YSRCP leaders and the leaders from other parties, including the Left parties, on the way they were handling the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant privatisation issue.

“The Union Government had also tried to privatise the Tirupati International Airport, but they could not do it after I took up the issue with the Union Government,” Dr. Mohan said.