Congress destroyed democratic norms, alleges BJP leader

Calling the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ‘dictator in-chief’ for imposing Emergency and overthrowing State governments, the National General Secretary (organisation) of BJP B.L. Santosh alleged in Mangaluru on Saturday, that the ‘Congress destroyed democratic norms’ in the country.

Calling the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ‘dictator in-chief’ for imposing Emergency and overthrowing State governments, the National General Secretary (organisation) of BJP B.L. Santosh alleged in Mangaluru on Saturday, that the ‘Congress destroyed democratic norms’ in the country.

He was addressing a gathering after releasing the Kannada book ‘Samvidhana Badalayisiddu Yaru’ authored by P. Vikas Kumar under the auspices of Citizens for Social Justice, Mangaluru.

Mr. Santosh alleged that the Congress never tried to get justice for the deprived sections of society. He said that there was stark contrast in the way Congress treated the architect of the Constitution B.R. Ambedkar and now how it used his name and the Constitution as tools not only to win some elections but to spread its negative narratives.

The BJP leader charged that the Congress did everything possible to ensure that Ambedkar was not included in the committee formed to draft the Constitution. But the party could not succeed.

When Ambedkar contested the 1952 Parliamentary elections from Bombay North Central, Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru campaigned against Ambedkar twice. “Imagine then the country did not have transport connectivity like now. But Nehru went to then Bombay not once but twice to campaign against Ambedkar,” Mr. Santosh said alleging that the Congress ensured that Ambedkar was defeated in the election.

Earlier the Congress made every effort to ensure that Ambedkar was not elected to the Constituent Assembly in 1946, but could not succeed, he alleged.

Mr. Santosh alleged that the Congress did not allow the family of Ambedkar to cremate his body in Delhi when he passed away. The family had to take his body to Mumbai for cremation. His wife was made to leave the house in Delhi within six months of Ambedkar’s death.