New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla offered floral tributes at the statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Parliament House Complex on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Sunday.
Union ministers, members of Parliament, former lawmakers, and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. Later, several dignitaries also offered floral tributes to Ambedkar's portrait in the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan, the old Parliament building.
The Secretaries-General of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Utpal Kumar Singh and P C Mody, respectively, also offered floral tributes to Ambedkar in the Central Hall. Ambedkar's portrait was unveiled in the Central Hall by the then Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh on April 12, 1990.
"On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution and one of the most eminent nation builders, I extend my warm greetings and best wishes to all fellow citizens," the president said in a statement.
"Babasaheb, a great son of Bharat, was not only the architect of the Indian Constitution but also a champion of social justice. He pioneered social change to build an egalitarian India through a constitutional framework promoting rule of law, civil liberties, gender equality, and empowerment of marginalised sections," Dhankhar said.
Birla hailed Ambedkar as a great nation-builder and said his life was synonymous with a unique struggle for social justice. "He was the vocal voice of the exploited and deprived sections of society and always dedicated to protecting their rights. In the form of the Constitution, he has given us an inspiring guide which is a model for all democratic countries. His works guide us even today. It is our responsibility to follow the path shown by him and contribute to achieve the resolution of creating an inclusive society and a developed India," the Lok Sabha speaker said.
