On Ambedkar's death anniversary, opposition leaders targeted the Centre. TN CM MK Stalin took a dig at opponents, while Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge stressed the need to protect the Constitution, which they claimed is under threat.
As the nation pays tribute to Babasahed Bhimrao Ambedkar on his death anniversary, the opposition parties have used the occasion to target the centre. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday took a subtle dig at his opponents in his post offering homage to Ambedkar saying that the group that sough to supress him now pretends to praise him. "Ambedkar Remembrance Day, the revolutionary who challenged the oppressions. It is Dr. Ambedkar who rose above, shattering everything with the weapon of education, from within a system that suppressed and oppressed him in every way. The same dominant group that sought to suppress him back then now pretends to praise him, that is his true victory. His life itself is a lesson. His struggles are an inspiration to us on the journey towards an egalitarian society. Let us continue to progress in the light of the great luminary," he posted on X.
Rahul Gandhi, Kharge vow to protect Constitution
Earlier, leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi paid homage to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Parliament on the occasion of Mahaparinirvan Diwas, marking the 70th death anniversary of the architect of the Indian Constitution, and reiterated that safeguarding Ambedkar's ideas and the Constitution remains a shared national responsibility. Speaking to reporters after the tribute ceremony, Rahul Gandhi described Babasaheb Ambedkar as a towering national figure whose ideas continue to guide India's democratic and social framework. "Ambedkar ji is an icon. He showed a path to the entire country, he gave us the Constitution. So, we remember him and protect his ideas and the Constitution...The Constitution of every Indian is under threat. We protect it, the citizens protect it," Rahul Gandhi told reporters.
Later, in a post on X, the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated his commitment to defending constitutional values. "Humble tributes to Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Mahaparinirvan Diwas. His timeless legacy of equality, justice and human dignity strengthens my resolve to defend the Constitution and inspires our collective struggle for a more inclusive, compassionate India," he wrote.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said that today it was needed to uphold Babsaheb's values. "On Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar's 70th Mahaparinirvan Diwas, we offer our profound gratitude to the architect of our Constitution and an unflinching voice for social justice. Throughout his life, Babasaheb stood firmly for the Democratic principles of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice. Today, more than ever, we are called upon to uphold, preserve and defend the values he lived for and his greatest gift to the nation, the Constitution of India," the Congress President said.
Official Commemoration Held
The 70th Mahaparinirvan Diwas was commemorated by Dr Ambedkar Foundation (DAF) on behalf of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, at Prerna sthal, Parliament House Campus, on December 06, 2025, near the statue of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. (ANI)
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