Hyderabad, April 14 (IANS) Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday accused the BJP of attempting to change the Constitution of India and undermine democratic values.

Addressing an event to mark the 135th birth anniversary of Dr B. R. Ambedkar here, he alleged that the BJP was trying to make a mockery of democracy, putting citizens’ fundamental rights at risk. Stating that every citizen faces the risk of losing their fundamental rights, he called upon people to unite to safeguard the Constitution.

“We must all unite, clench our fists in solidarity, and raise the slogan Jai Bhim to safeguard the Indian Constitution,” he said.

Paying tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution, he said that it is our collective good fortune that Dr Ambedkar was born in India. He called Ambedkar a man of extraordinary genius and a veritable mine of knowledge.

Vikramarka said Ambedkar was a great visionary who laid the foundations of democracy through the Indian Constitution, thereby establishing India as the largest democratic nation in the world.

“Through the Constitution, he enshrined equal rights for every citizen of the country. He was a visionary who secured women’s empowerment and rights through the Constitution,” the Deputy CM said.

He claimed that Ambedkar was the first to address the gender discrimination and hardships faced by women, who constitute half of the country’s population.

As the first Law Minister of independent India, he introduced the Hindu Code Bill in Parliament to safeguard women’s rights. Ambedkar was a great leader who went so far as to resign from his ministerial post to advocate for the passage of that bill, he said.

The Deputy CM stated that, transcending the barriers of caste and religion, Ambedkar worked tirelessly for the welfare of every woman. He played a pivotal role in the implementation of maternity leave provisions and labour laws. He was a great visionary who fought successfully to reduce the working hours for labourers from 12 to 8 hours.

“Paving the way for democracy, he granted every citizen the ‘Right to Vote’ — a mechanism through which the people themselves could become the rulers. Ambedkar provided a remarkable opportunity for every individual to shape the policies and procedures that govern their lives through their chosen representatives,” said Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.

He claimed that the “Indiramma Government” in Telangana is moving forward in tune with Babasaheb’s ideals and on the path shown by him. “Every decision the government makes, every law it enacts, and every step it takes in governance reflects Dr Ambedkar’s economic and social philosophy,” he said while adding that this trajectory will continue.

He affirmed that the government is advancing to ensure that resources and political rights are distributed equally among all citizens, based on their demographic proportion.

For the first time in the nation’s history, the Telangana government has undertaken a caste census, thereby moving forward in strict adherence to constitutional principles. “We are committed to the protection of the Constitution and human rights. Ours is a government that implements the Indian Constitution in both letter and spirit,” he added.

At the programme held at the 125‑foot statue of Ambedkar near the state Secretariat, the Deputy Chief Minister, along with ministers and state Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud, paid tributes and later released a special brochure aimed at spreading Ambedkar’s ideals.

–IANS

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