Punjab House condemns removal of pictures of Ambedkar, Bhagat Singh in Delhi

Chandigarh, Feb 25 (IANS) The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed a censure motion condemning the removal of pictures of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar and Shaheed Bhagat Singh by the BJP's Delhi government after assuming office.  

The motion, moved by Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, came down heavily on the BJP government for insulting the national heroes.

Earlier, raising the issue in the Assembly during the Zero Hour, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema called the house to pass a resolution condemning the actions of the BJP government in Delhi and to send it to the President.

Cheema expressed his concerns over the actions of the BJP government in Delhi. He said the capital of the nation has witnessed a grave insult to Babasaheb Ambedkar and the Dalit community since the BJP assumed office.

The removal of Babasaheb Ambedkar's pictures by the BJP government “serves as a blatant affront to the Dalits of the country”, he asserted. He also highlighted the "alarming increase in atrocities" against Dalits since the BJP came to power at Centre. He said the instances of rape and blatant attempts to tinker with the Constitution have become distressingly frequent, further fueling concerns about the BJP's intentions to alter the very fabric of the nation's constitution.

The Finance Minister said this apprehension was substantiated by the disrespect shown to Dr Ambedkar by Home Minister Amit Shah in the Parliament, which further vitiated the atmosphere and led to the desecration of Dr Ambedkar’s statue in Amritsar. Drawing attention to a recent attempt to desecrate the statue of Ambedkar, Cheema expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann for swiftly apprehending the accused.

He said it reflected the government's commitment to upholding justice and protecting the dignity of Babasaheb Ambedkar's legacy. In stark contrast, he claimed that if the BJP were in power in Punjab, the accused would have been shielded from accountability.

Thanking the Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa for supporting the cause, the Finance Minister stressed the importance of standing united against any such attempts to erode the rights and dignity of marginalised communities and preserving the values of justice and equality that Ambedkar fought for.

--IANS

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