AAP's Rajendra Gautam to march to Ambedkar memorial in Delhi on Friday, take pledge to fight casteism

Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday said he and his supporters will march to Dr Ambedkar National Memorial here on October 14 and take a pledge to fight casteism and untouchability.

New Delhi:AAP leader Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday said he and his supporters will march to Dr Ambedkar National Memorial here on October 14 and take a pledge to fight casteism and untouchability. Gautam resigned as Delhi's social welfare minister on Sunday amid a controversy over his presence at a religious conversion event where Hindu deities were allegedly denounced.

The BJP had used the issue to attack AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during the campaigning for the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat and accused him of being "anti-Hindu". "At 2 pm on October 14, I will march from my residence 4/8 Raj Niwas Marg, Civil Lines to Dr Ambedkar National Memorial at 26, Alipur Road, where Baba Saheb Ambedkar died, to offer tributes.

"I and my supporters will take a pledge that we will follow the path shown by Ambedkar and (Dalit leader) Kanshi Ram till casteism and untouchability are abolished... till our sisters are safe and the killings of our brothers for keeping a moustache or a horse or entering a temple come to an end," Gautam said in a video message.

After he resigned from the Delhi Cabinet due to the controversy over the October 5 event, Gautam was quizzed by police at his residence on Monday. He had earlier said that he attended the event in his personal capacity and it had nothing to do with his party or the ministry.