President Murmu, Vice Prez, PM Modi pay floral tributes to Babasaheb Ambedkar on birth anniversary

Pic/PTI

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla paid floral tributes at the statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Parliament House Complex on Monday, marking his birth anniversary.

Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge also paid homage at the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Union ministers, MPs and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were also present to offer their tributes.

On the eve of the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu greeted people and said Ambedkar's contributions across various fields would continue to inspire future generations to work with dedication towards nation-building.

In her message, she said Ambedkar created a distinct identity despite facing extreme hardships and earned global respect through his exceptional achievements. He considered education an important tool for social change and empowerment of the downtrodden, the President said.

Paying tributes to Bhimrao Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, Prime Minister Modi said that it was due to his inspiration that the country was dedicated to realising the dream of social justice.

His principles and ideas will strengthen and speed up the building of an 'aatmanirbhar' (self-reliant) and developed India, PM Modi said on X.

Ambedkar is recognised for his lifelong struggle for the empowerment of Scheduled Castes and his key role in drafting the Constitution.

Born in a Dalit family in 1891, he was a brilliant student who went on to study abroad. The discrimination he suffered in Indian society made him a committed social reformer. He was also India's first law minister.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday paid floral tributes to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai on his 134th birth anniversary.

Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde, state cabinet ministers Ashish Shelar and Sanjay Shirsat also paid homage to Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi, the final resting place of the Constitution's chief architect, located at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

The dignitaries also visited an exhibition of rare pictures of Ambedkar's life and times organised there by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Earlier, Fadnavis in a post on X said, "Salutations to an eminent economist, global icon of social justice and father of the Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Babasaheb Ambedkar on his birth anniversary."

NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule, who paid tributes at Chaityabhoomi earlier in the day, told reporters that Ambedkar laid the foundation stone of how a country's administration should be run.

"His vision for social justice, power projects, education continues to guide the country," she said.

(With inputs from Agencies)